NGC MS63 RB 1863 NY Civil War Storecard 630N-4a Late Die State - From the Bowers Reference Set

NGC MS63 RB 1863 NY Civil War Storecard 630N-4a Late Die State - From the Bowers Reference Set

The obverse of the token reads, “M.S. Brown 1863” Morris S. Brown (liquor, cigars) and the reverse of the token reads “Eureka 2 Warren St. New York.”The obverse shows a wreath surrounding two lines of text with a shield at the top. The reverse depicts four total lines of text with four diamonds positioned throughout.

Civil War tokens are token coins that were privately minted and distributed in the United States between 1861 and 1864. They were used mainly in the Northeast and Midwest. The widespread use of the tokens was a result of the scarcity of government-issued cents during the Civil War.

Civil War tokens became illegal after the United States Congress passed a law on April 22, 1864 prohibiting the issue of any one or two-cent coins, tokens or devices for use as currency. On June 8, 1864 an additional law was passed that forbade all private coinage.

Civil War tokens are divided into three types—store cards, patriotic tokens, and sutler tokens. All three types were utilized as currency, and are differentiated by their designs. The collectible value of the tokens is determined chiefly by their rarity.