(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630W-1b, Felix Dining Saloon NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$432 MS64 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from Felix Dining Saloon of New York, cataloged as Fuld 630W-1b. 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 630W-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, Felix Dining Saloon was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630W-1b