(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AMA-1G, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AMA-1G. New York was the nation's commercial capital, with New York City alone producing hundreds of store card varieties from Broadway retailers to waterfront wholesalers. The gold composition of this variety (Fuld 630AMA-1G) is extremely rare for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. A gold striking of any Civil War token is a major rarity, usually produced for a die sinker's personal collection or as a gift. 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

Gold strikings of Civil War tokens are among the rarest of all metal variants, produced in tiny quantities for presentation purposes or the collector market. With 2 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AMA-1G