(1863) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-630K-1e, GW-666 T. Brimelow NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 MS63 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from GW-666 T. Brimelow of New York, cataloged as Fuld 630K-1e. 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 white metal, this die combination (Fuld 630K-1e) is somewhat scarce. 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. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition. 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

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 44 cataloged varieties, GW-666 T. Brimelow was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630K-1e