No Date Token F-630CFa-1i Zinc PE Hugo Wellenkamp NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$660 MS62 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This undated Civil War era store card, cataloged as Fuld 630CFa-1i, is a zinc patriotic edition token issued by Hugo Wellenkamp of New York. The zinc composition, designated by the "i" suffix, is among the less common materials used for Civil War tokens, as zinc was softer and more prone to corrosion than copper or brass. Hugo Wellenkamp was a New York City merchant whose German surname reflects the large German-American community in mid-nineteenth century New York. German immigrants dominated many commercial trades in the city, particularly in areas like Kleindeutschland on the Lower East Side. The choice of zinc as a striking medium was driven by material availability or cost considerations, making this a distinctive composition variant within the extensive New York City Civil War token series.

Rarity Notes

Civil War store card, Fuld 630CFa-1i. Zinc patriotic edition. Hugo Wellenkamp, New York. Uncommon zinc composition. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #655330; Fuld 630CFa-1i; Hugo Wellenkamp, NY