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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 630W-1F. 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 silver composition of this variety (Fuld 630W-1F) is rare for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. 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. Silver examples were struck in small quantities, often for collectors or as special orders. 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

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 12 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630W-1F