(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-890E-12b, Robinson & Ballou NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Robinson & Ballou 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 890E-12b) is common to somewhat scarce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 15 cataloged varieties, Robinson & Ballou was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 890E-12b