(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630AJ-1a, CHR. F. Hetzel NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS64BN 04-24-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War-era store card from CHR. F. Hetzel of 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 630AJ-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. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Many Civil War tokens were produced in quantities far exceeding actual commercial need, as die sinkers and merchants recognized the speculative collecting interest that was already developing. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 1 cataloged varieties, CHR. F. Hetzel was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AJ-1a