(1861-65) Lead Civil War Store Card F-630BG-6g, John Quinn NY

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 630BG-6g — store card of John Quinn, New York. John Quinn operated a grocery store at the corner of 26th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City. His tokens feature the patriotic reverse inscription "MONEY MAKES THE MARE GO — GO IT BUTTONS" with imagery of a man walking with coins spilling from a bindle. The lead composition of this variety (Fuld 630BG-6g) is scarce for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Lead strikings were produced as trial pieces or die tests before the main production run. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Lead strikings are uncommon, likely produced as trial pieces or die tests rather than for commercial circulation. With 31 cataloged varieties, John Quinn was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BG-6g