(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630AQ-4b, Gustavus Lindenmueller NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Gustavus Lindenmueller in New York. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630AQ-4b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

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-4b