Token F-BUFFALO 105 NY

Coin Details

Description

This token is attributed to Buffalo, New York, in the Fuld catalog (F-BUFFALO 105). Buffalo was a major commercial center during the Civil War, serving as the western terminus of the Erie Canal and a critical transshipment point for grain and other agricultural products moving between the Great Lakes and the eastern seaboard. Buffalo merchants issued Civil War store cards to facilitate local commerce during the coin shortage that plagued the Northern economy from 1862 to 1864. The copper composition provided excellent durability for everyday handling. Merchant tokens in copper circulated freely alongside federal cents, and the familiar reddish-brown metal ensured ready acceptance in local commerce. Cataloged as Fuld BUFFALO in the Fuld Civil War token reference. Merchant store cards from this period served dual purposes: as advertising for the issuing business and as practical small change during periods when federal coinage was scarce or inconvenient.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Fuld BUFFALO.