(No Date) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-630BE-11d, G. Parsons NY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of G. Parsons in New York. G. Parsons operated a fireworks business in New York City and issued tokens advertising "G. PARSONS FIREWORKS" in 1863. Some varieties are extremely rare (R-8), including a German Silver striking that is unique as the only certified example. The large number of die combinations indicates either a long production run or deliberate creation of varieties. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 630BE-11d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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 56 cataloged varieties, G. Parsons was a substantial producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 630BE-11d