(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-95D-1b, T. Ivory NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$213 MS63 10-10-2023 eBay

Description

T. Ivory of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. T. Ivory operated a billiard saloon at the corner of Fulton and Orange Streets in Brooklyn. His tokens feature a bust of George Washington on the reverse inscribed "THE WASHINGTON TOKEN. 1863." One variety was struck over an 1857 Seated Liberty Dime, with traces of the original coin still visible — making overstrike varieties especially prized among specialists. This brass striking (Fuld 95D-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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 planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 27 cataloged varieties, T. Ivory was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 95D-1b