(No Date) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-630AB-4d, A. Gavron. NY

Coin Details

Description

Store card of A. Gavron. in New York, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Amelia Gavron operated a sausage-making business at 213 Bowery and 102 Pitt Street in New York City. She is one of the very few female merchants known to have issued Civil War tokens, making her pieces especially significant. Her tokens read "A. GAVRON / SAUSAGES / FOR PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION / 1863" and were struck in copper-nickel. Most varieties are rated R-8 or higher, making Gavron's tokens among the rarest NYC store cards. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 630AB-4d) is somewhat scarce. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 41 cataloged varieties, A. Gavron. was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630AB-4d