(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-890E-3b, Robinson & Ballou NY

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Robinson & Ballou in New York, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. New York state generated the second-largest body of Civil War token issues, concentrated in New York City but extending to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, and smaller commercial centers. This brass striking (Fuld 890E-3b) 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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. 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-3b