(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630AP-8b, H.M. Lane NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of H.M. Lane in New York. H.M. Lane operated a lamp and kerosene oil retail business at 18 Spring Street in New York City. The tokens advertise "LAMPS / KEROSENE OIL & C" and reflect the booming kerosene industry of the 1860s, when whale oil was being rapidly replaced by petroleum-based kerosene for domestic lighting. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630AP-8b) is common to somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 66 cataloged varieties, H.M. Lane was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AP-8b