(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630BV-3E, NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$162 MS64RB 11-21-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BV-3E. 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 630BV-3E) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. 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. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 111 cataloged varieties, this merchant was one of the most prolific merchants in the series.

Cross References

Fuld 630BV-3E