(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AB-4B, NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$106 MS62 11-16-2012 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AB-4B. New York state generated the second-largest body of Civil War token issues, concentrated in New York City but extending to Albany, Troy, Buffalo, and smaller commercial centers. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 630AB-4B) is common to somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. 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 was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance. 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 41 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AB-4B