(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-10G-1a, John Thomas Jr. NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$30 AU50BN 01-21-2023 eBay

Description

This Civil War token was issued by John Thomas Jr. in New York. 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 copper striking (Fuld 10G-1a) is common among the known varieties. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production during the Civil War represented the largest private coinage movement in American history, with an estimated 25 million pieces struck between 1862 and 1864. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 3 cataloged varieties, John Thomas Jr. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 10G-1a