(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-10A-6b, Benjamin & Herrick NY

Coin Details

Description

Benjamin & Herrick of New York produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Benjamin & Herrick operated as fruit dealers at 427 Broadway in Albany. Their 1863 tokens feature the inscription "REDEEMED AT 427 BROADWAY 1863." The fruit trade was important in Albany due to the city's position as a distribution hub on the Hudson River and Erie Canal system. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 10A-6b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 21 cataloged varieties, Benjamin & Herrick was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 10A-6b