(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630AB-7b, A. Gavron. NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$90 UNC Details 11-16-2012 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from A. Gavron. of New York. Amelia Gavron operated a sausage-making business at 213 Bowery and 102 Pitt Street in New York City. She is one of the very few female merchants known to have issued Civil War tokens, making her pieces especially significant. Her tokens read "A. GAVRON / SAUSAGES / FOR PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION / 1863" and were struck in copper-nickel. Most varieties are rated R-8 or higher, making Gavron's tokens among the rarest NYC store cards. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630AB-7b) is common to somewhat scarce. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 41 cataloged varieties, A. Gavron. was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AB-7b