(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AG-4E, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AG-4E. 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 white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 630AG-4E) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 45 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AG-4E