(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630BW-1b, Strasburger & Nuhn NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 MS65 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Merchant token from Strasburger & Nuhn of New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BW-1b. 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. This brass striking (Fuld 630BW-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 1 cataloged varieties, Strasburger & Nuhn was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630BW-1b