(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-630BB-7d, Monk's NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Monk's in New York. 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. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 630BB-7d) is somewhat scarce. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 81 cataloged varieties, Monk's was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BB-7d