(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BE-1b, G. Parsons NY

Coin Details

Description

G. Parsons of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. G. Parsons operated a fireworks business in New York City and issued tokens advertising "G. PARSONS FIREWORKS" in 1863. Some varieties are extremely rare (R-8), including a German Silver striking that is unique as the only certified example. The large number of die combinations indicates either a long production run or deliberate creation of varieties. This brass striking (Fuld 630BE-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. 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 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 56 cataloged varieties, G. Parsons was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630BE-1b