(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-630L-2b, Broas Bros. NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Broas Bros. of New York. Broas Brothers Pie Bakers at 131 41st Street in New York City issued tokens under this name alongside the related "Broas Pie Baker" series. Together the Broas family produced nearly 30 die varieties, one of the most extensive series from any single New York merchant. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 630L-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 42 cataloged varieties, Broas Bros. was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630L-2b