(1861-65) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-630BG-4e, John Quinn NY

Coin Details

Description

John Quinn of New York issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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. This white metal striking (Fuld 630BG-4e) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 31 cataloged varieties, John Quinn was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BG-4e