(1863) Silver Civil War Store Card F-630BB-14f, 399 B'Way NY

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 630BB-14f — store card of 399 B'Way, 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. This silver striking (Fuld 630BB-14f) is rare among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Silver examples were struck in small quantities, often for collectors or as special orders. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 81 cataloged varieties, 399 B'Way was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BB-14f