(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-95A-2F, NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from New York, cataloged as Fuld 95A-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. This silver striking (Fuld 95A-2F) is rare 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. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced as presentation or collector pieces. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 4 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 95A-2F