(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-145A-3F, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 145A-3F. 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 silver composition of this variety (Fuld 145A-3F) is rare 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. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Silver examples were struck in small quantities, often for collectors or as special orders. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 21 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 145A-3F