(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890B-8B, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 890B-8B. 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. This brass striking (Fuld 890B-8B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors. 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

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 42 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 890B-8B