(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630BX-1E, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630BX-1E. 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 630BX-1E) 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. White metal strikings are less common than copper or brass and show more wear due to the soft alloy. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 8 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630BX-1E