(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-555C-3B, NJ

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Newark, New Jersey, cataloged as Fuld 555C-3B. New Jersey was a vital industrial and transportation state, with Newark, Trenton, and Paterson as major manufacturing centers where merchants issued Civil War tokens. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 555C-3B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 38 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 555C-3B