(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630AP-7E, NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 MS67 06-16-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630AP-7E. 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 white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 630AP-7E) is somewhat scarce 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. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. White metal strikings are less common than copper or brass and show more wear due to the soft alloy. 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

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 66 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AP-7E