(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630BT-3a, St. Charles Billiard Rooms NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$80 MS62BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by St. Charles Billiard Rooms in New York. New York was the nation's commercial capital, with New York City alone producing hundreds of store card varieties from Broadway retailers to waterfront wholesalers. This copper striking (Fuld 630BT-3a) is common among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, the U.S. Mint dramatically increased production of small-denomination coins, and the new bronze two-cent piece helped alleviate the shortage. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 4 cataloged varieties, St. Charles Billiard Rooms was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630BT-3a