(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-695A-2F, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 695A-2F. 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. Struck in silver, this die combination (Fuld 695A-2F) is rare. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The silver composition indicates a piece produced outside the normal commercial run, as a numismatic item. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 7 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 695A-2F