(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630CE-1G, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630CE-1G. 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. This gold striking (Fuld 630CE-1G) is extremely rare among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Gold pieces were struck as special presentation items and are almost never encountered. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Gold strikings of Civil War tokens are among the rarest of all metal variants, produced in tiny quantities for presentation purposes or the collector market. With 14 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630CE-1G