(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-630AG-3do, John P. Gruber, Overstk on 1863 1C NY Cent NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$989 MS65 02-12-2019 eBay

Description

Civil War-era store card from John P. Gruber, Overstk on 1863 1C NY Cent 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. 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. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 45 cataloged varieties, John P. Gruber, Overstk on 1863 1C NY Cent was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AG-3do