(1863) German-Silver Civil War Store Card F-630BG-2j, John Quinn NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by John Quinn of New York. John Quinn operated a grocery store at the corner of 26th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City. His tokens feature the patriotic reverse inscription "MONEY MAKES THE MARE GO — GO IT BUTTONS" with imagery of a man walking with coins spilling from a bindle. This german-silver striking (Fuld 630BG-2j) is scarce among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The German silver alloy gives these tokens an attractive appearance that has made them popular with collectors. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and are sought after for their distinctive silvery appearance. With 31 cataloged varieties, John Quinn was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BG-2j