(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-105J-3b, Hochstetter & Strauss NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Hochstetter & Strauss in New York. New York state generated the second-largest body of Civil War token issues, concentrated in New York City but extending to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, and smaller commercial centers. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 105J-3b) is common to somewhat scarce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, Hochstetter & Strauss was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 105J-3b