(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AG-3C, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AG-3C. 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. The nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 630AG-3C) is scarce for this merchant. 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. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Nickel strikings are scarcer than copper or brass versions and have a distinctive silvery 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

Nickel strikings are generally scarcer than copper or brass versions, as nickel was more expensive and harder to strike. With 45 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AG-3C