(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630F-1a, V. Benner & Ch. Bendinger NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$115 MS65BN 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

V. Benner & Ch. Bendinger of New York produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 630F-1a) is common. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 10 cataloged varieties, V. Benner & Ch. Bendinger was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630F-1a