No Date Token F-630BF-1(mpl) Ni-Plated Copper PE Ches Pfaff NY

Coin Details

Description

This undated Civil War era store card, cataloged as Fuld 630BF-1(mpl), is a nickel-plated copper patriotic edition token issued by Ches Pfaff of New York. The nickel-plated copper composition is unusual among Civil War tokens and represents the "(mpl)" designation in the Fuld catalog — metal-plated. Charles Pfaff ran a famous beer cellar and restaurant on Broadway in lower Manhattan that was a celebrated gathering place for writers, artists, and bohemians in the 1850s and 1860s. Walt Whitman, Ada Clare, and other literary figures frequented Pfaff's establishment, making it one of the most culturally significant saloons in American history. This token advertising Pfaff's establishment is consequently of interest to both numismatists and literary historians, connecting Civil War-era commerce with the bohemian cultural scene of antebellum New York.

Rarity Notes

Civil War store card, Fuld 630BF-1(mpl). Nickel-plated copper. Ches Pfaff, famous New York bohemian saloon. Historically significant. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #656661; Fuld 630BF-1(mpl); Ches Pfaff, NY