(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AP-12J, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AP-12J. 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 german silver composition of this variety (Fuld 630AP-12J) is scarce for this merchant. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The German silver alloy gives these tokens an attractive appearance that has made them popular with collectors. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and are sought after for their distinctive silvery appearance. With 66 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AP-12J