(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AB-8D, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AB-8D. 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 copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 630AB-8D) is somewhat scarce. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 41 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AB-8D