(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-105P-4d, S.B. Seward NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from S.B. Seward of New York. 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. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 105P-4d) is somewhat scarce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 7 cataloged varieties, S.B. Seward was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 105P-4d