(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BV-4b, Story & Southworth NY

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 630BV-4b — store card of Story & Southworth, New York. Story & Southworth operated a grocery store in New York City. While some original wartime varieties are scarce (R-6, with only 21-76 estimated survivors), the series is notable because post-war producers Emil Sigel and Edward Groh later created over 100 additional die combinations using the original obverse die, requiring careful distinction between wartime originals and post-war restrikes. This brass striking (Fuld 630BV-4b) 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. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 111 cataloged varieties, Story & Southworth was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BV-4b