(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BB-1b, 399 B'Way NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from 399 B'Way of New York. 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. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630BB-1b) 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 81 cataloged varieties, 399 B'Way was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BB-1b