(c.1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630K-8b, GW-665 T. Brimelow NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$576 MS66 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of GW-665 T. Brimelow in 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630K-8b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 44 cataloged varieties, GW-665 T. Brimelow was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630K-8b