(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AM-1H, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AM-1H. 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 lead composition of this variety (Fuld 630AM-1H) is scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Lead examples are rare survivors, as the soft metal is easily damaged and many pieces were discarded. 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

Lead strikings are uncommon, likely produced as trial pieces or die tests rather than for commercial circulation. With 11 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630AM-1H