(1864) Silver Civil War Store Card F-750L-1f, Baker-363, Great Central Fair PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264 MS61 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by GW-672, Great Central Fair, operating in Phila, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. With 3 known varieties, GW-672, Great Central Fair produced a modest number of token types. The silver composition of this variety (Fuld 750L-1f) is rare for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced as presentation or collector pieces. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 3 cataloged varieties, GW-672, Great Central Fair was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 750L-1f