(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AP-1A, NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$80 MS61BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AP-1A. 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. This copper striking (Fuld 630AP-1A) is common among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 66 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AP-1A