(1863) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-630BB-11e, GW-628 399 B'Way NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS64 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from GW-628 399 B'Way of New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BB-11e. 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 white metal striking (Fuld 630BB-11e) is somewhat scarce 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. White metal strikings are less common than copper or brass and show more wear due to the soft alloy. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 81 cataloged varieties, GW-628 399 B'Way was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BB-11e