(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-145B-3a, G.L. Bowne NY

Coin Details

Description

G.L. Bowne of New York produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. G.L. Bowne operated "The Iron Clad" hardware store in Cooperstown, New York — a business name cleverly referencing both ironclad warships and the iron goods sold within. His tokens read "WILL REDEEM AT THE IRON CLAD / G.L. BOWNE." The Iron Clad Building at 92 Main Street is now a contributing structure to the Cooperstown Historic District. This copper striking (Fuld 145B-3a) is common among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 15 cataloged varieties, G.L. Bowne was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 145B-3a