(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630M-1D, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630M-1D. 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 630M-1D) 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. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 40 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630M-1D