(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630L-2D, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630L-2D. 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. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 630L-2D) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. 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

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 42 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630L-2D