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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BB-12F. 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. Struck in silver, this die combination (Fuld 630BB-12F) is rare. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Silver examples were struck in small quantities, often for collectors or as special orders. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 81 cataloged varieties, this merchant was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BB-12F