(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630AQ-6a, Gustavus Lindenmueller NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$169 MS63BN 01-08-2023 eBay

Description

Gustavus Lindenmueller of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. Gustavus Lindenmueller operated The Odeon beer hall and theater (also known as the Deutsches Volks Theatre) in New York City. He had over one million tokens struck in 1863 — the largest known issue of any Civil War token merchant. His tokens were so widely accepted as streetcar fare that the Third Avenue Railroad accumulated thousands and demanded redemption; Lindenmueller refused, and the resulting complaint helped prompt Congress to pass the Act of April 22, 1864 banning private coinage. The most iconic Civil War token issuer. This copper striking (Fuld 630AQ-6a) is common among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels.

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 45 cataloged varieties, Gustavus Lindenmueller was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AQ-6a