(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-140A-2b, Alden & Frink NY

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Alden & Frink in New York, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 140A-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 6 cataloged varieties, Alden & Frink was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 140A-2b