(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BC-1b, Henry C. Montz NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$70 MS62 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Henry C. Montz of New York produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. This brass striking (Fuld 630BC-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, Henry C. Montz was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BC-1b