(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630K-1a, GW-666, T. Brimelow NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$252 MS66BN 04-08-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card issued by GW-666, T. Brimelow of New York. New York was the nation's commercial capital, with New York City alone producing hundreds of store card varieties from Broadway retailers to waterfront wholesalers. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 630K-1a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Civil War tokens circulated alongside postage currency, fractional currency notes, and encased postage stamps as substitutes for the federal coins that had disappeared from commercial channels. 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 44 cataloged varieties, GW-666, T. Brimelow was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630K-1a