(1863) German-Silver Civil War Store Card F-95D-2j, T. Ivory NY

Coin Details

Description

T. Ivory of New York issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. T. Ivory operated a billiard saloon at the corner of Fulton and Orange Streets in Brooklyn. His tokens feature a bust of George Washington on the reverse inscribed "THE WASHINGTON TOKEN. 1863." One variety was struck over an 1857 Seated Liberty Dime, with traces of the original coin still visible — making overstrike varieties especially prized among specialists. The german-silver composition of this variety (Fuld 95D-2j) is scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. German silver pieces have a silvery-white color that distinguishes them from the more common copper and brass strikings.

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 27 cataloged varieties, T. Ivory was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 95D-2j