(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-630Q-4G, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630Q-4G. 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. This gold striking (Fuld 630Q-4G) is extremely rare among the known varieties. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Gold pieces were struck as special presentation items and are almost never encountered. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 11 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630Q-4G