(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630M-6ao, Broas Pie Baker NY

Coin Details

Description

Broas Pie Baker of New York issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. 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 piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce.

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. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 40 cataloged varieties, Broas Pie Baker was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630M-6ao