(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630AQ-3b, Gustavus Lindenmueller NY

Coin Details

Description

Gustavus Lindenmueller of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. Gustavus Lindenmueller operated The Odeon beer hall and theater (also known as the Deutsches Volks Theatre) in New York City. He had over one million tokens struck in 1863 — the largest known issue of any Civil War token merchant. His tokens were so widely accepted as streetcar fare that the Third Avenue Railroad accumulated thousands and demanded redemption; Lindenmueller refused, and the resulting complaint helped prompt Congress to pass the Act of April 22, 1864 banning private coinage. The most iconic Civil War token issuer. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630AQ-3b) is common to somewhat scarce. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 45 cataloged varieties, Gustavus Lindenmueller was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AQ-3b