(No Date) Copper Civil War Store Card F-630S-4a, Tom Cullen NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$75 MS64BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Store card of Tom Cullen in New York, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 630S-4a) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 5 cataloged varieties, Tom Cullen was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 630S-4a