(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-630AD-1do, H.D. Gerdts, Overstk on 1862 1C NY Cent NY

Coin Details

Description

H.D. Gerdts, Overstk on 1862 1C NY Cent 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. 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. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 7 cataloged varieties, H.D. Gerdts, Overstk on 1862 1C NY Cent was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630AD-1do