(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630L-14a, Plated Broas Pie Baker NY

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Plated Broas Pie Baker in New York. The Broas family, led by James Ira Broas and his sons, operated a pie bakery at 131 41st Street in New York City. Their tokens carry patriotic reverses including "ONE COUNTRY" and "UNITED WE STAND." A large quantity was produced — far exceeding pie advertising needs — suggesting they circulated as general small change. This copper striking (Fuld 630L-14a) is common among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. 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 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 42 cataloged varieties, Plated Broas Pie Baker was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630L-14a