(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630AP-4a, H.M. Lane NY

Coin Details

Description

H.M. Lane of New York produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. H.M. Lane operated a lamp and kerosene oil retail business at 18 Spring Street in New York City. The tokens advertise "LAMPS / KEROSENE OIL & C" and reflect the booming kerosene industry of the 1860s, when whale oil was being rapidly replaced by petroleum-based kerosene for domestic lighting. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 630AP-4a) is common. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 66 cataloged varieties, H.M. Lane was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AP-4a