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BRG CWTs and Store Cards

Category:  Token & Medals
Owner:  brg5658
Last Modified:  4/10/2024
Set Description
I have always loved the history that goes along with the Civil War Tokens and Store Card issues. This is a smattering of pieces that caught my attention. The set has no particular order or theme, but allows me to keep track of my small collection of these historical tokens.

Set Goals
An array of interesting CWTs.

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin 12 / 297 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-12/297 a ARMY & NAVY ARMY & NAVY NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 7/25/2012.

NGC has graded 32 of these tokens, and the population in MS65BN is 6 with none graded finer. Of those 32, all are graded with the Brown (BN) color designation except for 2 graded MS63RB.
View Coin 43 /388 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-43/388 a MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE NGC MS 64 RB Purchased on 7/23/2013.

Rated R-2 (2001-5000 extant).
View Coin 45 / 332 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-45/332 a LIBERTY - OUR ARMY NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 8/5/2012.

NGC has graded 52 of these tokens, of which 41 were graded with a Brown (BN) color designation. There are 11 graded MS65 with 10 graded MS66 and 2 graded MS67.
View Coin 54 / 179 United States TOKEN 1864 CIVIL WAR F-54/179 a UNION MUST BE PRESERVED NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 8/5/2012.

This token is listed as a rarity of R-2, with 2001-5000 pieces expected to be in existence. That being said, this token is a superb example and is likely among the best still surviving. The Fuld-179 die is very similar to the 1863 dated Fuld-178 die. In general the Fuld-178 pieces exhibit great detail than the Fuld-179 pieces struck a year later.

The statue represented on this token is that of Clark Mills, the first American sculptor to overcome the challenges of casting a statue of a rider on a rearing horse. His bronze sculpture of Andrew Jackson was unveiled in 1852 at the Andrew Jackson memorial in Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House. It was the first equestrian statue in the United States. Two other identical statues were cast later: one dedicated in 1856 was placed at Jackson Square in the French Quarters of New Orleans, the other was dedicated in 1880 during Nashville’s centennial celebration and can be found next to the Tennessee state capitol. The 179 die design is attributed to Horter.
View Coin 69 / 369 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-69/369 a NOT ONE CENT NGC MS 64 BN Purchased on 1/21/2014.

Rarity 3, < 2000 known. Lovely surfaces, with a bit of clashing. Just a slight spot on the reverse, but an otherwise very nice token.
View Coin 110 / 442 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-110/442 a WASHINGTON - NEW YORK WASHINGTON - NEW YORK NGC TOKEN MS 65 BN Purchased on 9/19/2014.
View Coin 164 / 312 United States TOKEN (1861-65) CIVIL WAR F-164/312 a UNION SHIELD NGC MS 64 BN Purchased on 5/2/2016.
View Coin 174 / 272 TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-174/272 A 1ST IN WAR 1ST IN PEACE NGC TOKEN MS 65 RB Purchased on 12/21/2011.

This token features the equestrian statue of George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States. It is the oldest sculpture in the New York City Parks collection. It was modeled by Henry Kirke Brown (1814–1886) and dedicated in 1856. The obverse of this token is very similar to the other token in this horses set with the Fuld 175 obverse die, but this Fuld 174 example features more detail. In addition, this die pairing is much more common than the F-175/403a which is also in this set.

In 1851, a committee of concerned citizens interested in erecting a monument to Washington in New York approached sculptor Horatio Greenough, known for his huge classical marble portrait of Washington. Simultaneously, the committee also invited Henry Kirke Brown to submit a design, though it was unclear whether he was to assist Greenough or compete with him for artistic selection. Any prospect of collaboration evaporated with Greenough’s premature death in December 1852.

The moment Brown depicts is that of Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783, when Washington reclaimed the city from the British. With outstretched hand, Washington signals to the troops in a gesture of benediction, a sculptural motif indebted to precedents from antiquity, most notably the Marcus Aurelius statue on Rome’s Capitaline Hill. The resulting statue depicts a uniting of classical gesture and pose with a simple and direct naturalism. The piece was cast at the Ames foundry in Chicopee, Massachusetts, one of the first foundries in the United States capable of such large-scale quality work. The names of the donors are inscribed on the skyward face of the bronze sub-base.

On June 5, 1856, the Washington statue was installed on a simple granite base designed by Richard Upjohn. The event drew thousands of spectators. One month later, on July 4, the statue was formally conveyed to the custody of the City of New York. At that time the sculpture stood in a fenced enclosure in the middle of the street, at the southeast corner of the square. In 1930, following overall improvements to the park, and to better protect it from vehicular traffic and pollution, the statue was moved to its position of centrality on the south side of the park--closer to where many feel Washington actually greeted the citizens of New York when he liberated the city from British rule.

In 1989, the statue was conserved, and the missing sword and bridle strap recreated through the Adopt-A-Monument Program, a joint venture of Parks, the Municipal Art Society, and the New York City Art Commission. In the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the George Washington sculpture served as a place for collective grieving and public expression, and became the central focus of a massive around-the-clock community vigil and a provisional shrine.
View Coin 174 / 272 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-174/272 a 1st IN WAR, 1st IN PEACE 1ST IN WAR, 1ST IN PEACE NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 1/24/2015.

Yet another duplicate of this commonly found and commonly graded design. Stunning luster and lovely toning, and some signs of the early degradation of the wording in "FIRST" (of FIRST IN WAR) that progressively worsens later in the die state of this token.

View Coin 174 / 272 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-174/272 a 1st IN WAR, 1st IN PEACE 1ST IN WAR, 1ST IN PEACE NGC MS 64 BN Purchased on 10/7/2014.

A duplicate token, as I have another in MS65RB. But, this is a particularly lovely example with full strike and some nice toning.
View Coin 175 / 403 TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-175/403 A IN.PRIMITIVE 1ST IN WAR 1ST IN PEACE NGC TOKEN AU 53 BN Purchased on 10/9/2011.

This token features the equestrian statue of George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States. It is the oldest sculpture in the New York City Parks collection. It was modeled by Henry Kirke Brown (1814–1886) and dedicated in 1856. This token features an obverse similar to the Fuld 174 example in the horses set. However, this example with the Fuld 175/403a die pairing is much rarer than the other example. It is listed as R4, with an estimated 201-500 pieces in existence.

In 1851, a committee of concerned citizens interested in erecting a monument to Washington in New York approached sculptor Horatio Greenough, known for his huge classical marble portrait of Washington. Simultaneously, the committee also invited Henry Kirke Brown to submit a design, though it was unclear whether he was to assist Greenough or compete with him for artistic selection. Any prospect of collaboration evaporated with Greenough’s premature death in December 1852.

The moment Brown depicts is that of Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783, when Washington reclaimed the city from the British. With outstretched hand, Washington signals to the troops in a gesture of benediction, a sculptural motif indebted to precedents from antiquity, most notably the Marcus Aurelius statue on Rome’s Capitaline Hill. The resulting statue depicts a uniting of classical gesture and pose with a simple and direct naturalism. The piece was cast at the Ames foundry in Chicopee, Massachusetts, one of the first foundries in the United States capable of such large-scale quality work. The names of the donors are inscribed on the skyward face of the bronze sub-base.

On June 5, 1856, the Washington statue was installed on a simple granite base designed by Richard Upjohn. The event drew thousands of spectators. One month later, on July 4, the statue was formally conveyed to the custody of the City of New York. At that time the sculpture stood in a fenced enclosure in the middle of the street, at the southeast corner of the square. In 1930, following overall improvements to the park, and to better protect it from vehicular traffic and pollution, the statue was moved to its position of centrality on the south side of the park--closer to where many feel Washington actually greeted the citizens of New York when he liberated the city from British rule.

In 1989, the statue was conserved, and the missing sword and bridle strap recreated through the Adopt-A-Monument Program, a joint venture of Parks, the Municipal Art Society, and the New York City Art Commission. In the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the George Washington sculpture served as a place for collective grieving and public expression, and became the central focus of a massive around-the-clock community vigil and a provisional shrine.
View Coin 176 / 271 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-176/271 a 1st IN WAR, 1st IN PEACE 1ST IN WAR, 1ST IN PEACE NGC TOKEN MS 64 BN Purchased on 1/14/2014.
View Coin 180 / 341 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-180/341 a HERO OF PEA RIDGE HERO OF PEA RIDGE NGC MS 63 RB Purchased on 10/9/2011.

The obverse of this civil war token features the image of Franz Sigel on horseback, and commemorating his victory at Pea Ridge (described below). Shortly after the start of the war, Sigel was commissioned colonel of the 3rd Missouri Infantry on May 4, 1861. Throughout the summer, President Abraham Lincoln was actively seeking the support of anti-slavery, pro-Unionist immigrants. Sigel was always popular with German immigrants and was a good candidate to advance this plan. He was promoted to brigadier general on August 7, 1861, one of a number of early political generals endorsed by Lincoln.

Sigel served under Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon in the capture of the Confederate Camp Jackson in St. Louis and at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, where his command was routed after making a march around the Confederate camp and attacking from the rear. Sigel conducted the retreat of the army after the death of General Lyon. His finest performance came on March 8, 1862, at the Battle of Pea Ridge, where he commanded two divisions and personally directed the Union artillery in the defeat of Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn on the second day of the battle. Sigel was promoted to major general on March 21, 1862.
View Coin 207 / 409 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-207/409 a THE FLAG OF OUR UNION THE FLAG OF OUR UNION NGC MS 66 BN Purchased on 7/23/2013.
View Coin 208 / 410 United States TOKEN 1863 CIVIL WAR F-207/410 a THE FLAG OF OUR UNION THE FLAG OF OUR UNION NGC MS 64 RB Purchased on 9/19/2014.
View Coin 223 / 328 United States TOKEN (1861-65) CIVIL WAR F-223/328 a THE FEDERAL UNION NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 9/6/2014.
Heritage Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction - Long Beach #1209, Lot 9306.

Population of 19 total graded, this is the single finest example graded by NGC.

The interesting typographical error of:
THE FEDERAL UNION IT MUST AND SHALL "BY" PRESERVED.

Listed by Fuld with a rarity of R2 (2000-5000 extant).
View Coin 231 / 352A United States TOKEN (1861-65) CIVIL WAR F-231/352A a OUR COUNTRY OUR COUNTRY NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 7/25/2012.

NGC has graded 49 of these tokens. Of those, 11 are graded MS65 (8 BN, 2 RB , and 1 RD), and there is a single example graded higher in MS66RB.
View Coin 299 / 350A (1861-65) F- 299/350 A ARMY & NAVY NGC TOKEN MS 65 BN Purchased on 2/13/2013.

The dies are rotated about 85 degrees counter-clockwise from coin alignment. NGC has graded a total of 11 of this token, 10 graded with the Brown (BN) color designation and a single example graded MS63RB . This is the single highest graded at MS65BN. This token has a rarity of R2 (2001-5000 pieces).
View Coin NY 630K-2a United States NY 1863 NEW YORK F-630K-2a T. BRIMELOW, DRUGGIST NGC MS 65 BN Purchased on 9/6/2014.
Heritage Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction - Long Beach #1209, Lot 9290.

NGC has graded 18 examples of this token. This is the single finest example in MS65 brown (BN) with 3 examples graded in MS65 red-brown (RB).

This token has wonderful irridescent color, and a very charming rendition of George Washington's bust (despite it being referred to among CWT collectors as the "ugly bust"). The George Washington die is referred to as Store Card Die #1139. The token is listed as R3 (between 500-2000 extant).
View Coin OH F-165CN-2a (Cincinnati) United States OH 1863 CINCINNATI F-165CN-2a B. KITTREDGE & CO. B.KITTREDGE & CO. GUNS NGC TOKEN MS 63 BN Purchased on 1/22/2013.

This token has a rarity of R2 (2001-5000 pieces), and is a quite attractive example of a store card. While only grading out at NGC as MS63BN, it has great eye appeal and glints of luster on both the obverse and reverse abound. NGC has graded a total of 11 examples of this token, with 4 in the MS63BN grade, and 4 higher (3 in MS64, and only 1 in MS65).
View Coin NY F-10H-1a United States NY (1861-65) ALBANY F-10H-1a D.L. WING & CO. NGC MS 62 BN Purchased on 9/19/2014.
View Coin WI F-510A-1a (Milwaukee) United States WI (1861-65) MILWAUKEE F-510A-1a E. ASCHERMANN & CO. S. TANENBAUM COLLECTION EX. LAWRENCE FISCHMAN NGC MS 65 RB Purchased on 6/2/2013 in the Steve Hayden auction.

Rarity 5, estimated pieces in existence of 76-200 tokens.

====================================================
Taken from the article by Aaron Packard, Nova Numismatics (December 2012)

Born in Germany in 1834, Edward Aschermann emigrated to the United States at about the age of 16. Quickly assimilating as a new immigrant, Aschermann didn’t wait very long to establish his own business. It is uncertain as to when Aschermann took residence in Wisconsin, but as early as 1859 Aschermann began manufacturing cigars in Milwaukee.

His first business establishment was located in a small store on West Water Street, where both he himself and five employees did a small retail trade in tobaccos and other related products. There he and his employees manufactured cigars and sold them directly to the public. Over the course of the next several years, Aschermann partnered with several others, all the while remaining a small, yet growing business operation. Sometime about 1864 Aschermann’s business took a turn for the better, more employees were hired, and the firm began to quickly grow. Quickly but patiently Aschermann expanded his business, focusing on quality, name recognition, and territory.

By 1877 Aschermann’s workforce numbered upwards of 350 men. By this time Aschermann’s venture included not only a storefront, but also a factory, offices, and shipping facilities. From a meager several thousand cigars per year at his start, Aschermann’s manufactory was now rolling over 7 million cigars per year. In addition to Aschermann’s Milwaukee operation, he also began fulfilling orders to other parts of the country. Customers and dealers were scattered about a large area of the U.S., covering the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, and Nebraska. Retailers purveyed his products as far south as Texas, and as far east as New York City. In fact, demand grew so quickly for his products that a railroad spur was soon added to accommodate the volume of product leaving his factory.

By 1881 Aschermann’s enterprise grew to employ over 500 men, becoming easily the third largest cigar factory in the United States. On his annual payroll of about $250,000 were about 420 cigar makers, 73 strippers, 41 packers, and a team of three traveling salesmen. From a mere several thousand to 7 million in 1877, Aschermann’s yearly output increased to upwards of 25 million cigars. By this time, Aschermann was using over 350 tons of tobacco to manufacture his cigars. As with his operation, his sales territories had also expanded, extending from the Pacific coast in the west, to Galveston in the south, to New England in the east.

In July 1883 Edward Aschermann and his firm had become so successful that he announced his retirement, and sold his business interest to Herman Segnitz, a long time employee. Being only 49 years old, his retirement was short-lived, however, Later that year, in December, Aschermann announced a new partnership with another cigar manufacturer, Louis Kindling. By 1895 Aschermann’s cigar companies were bought by William Graf & Co. However, the Aschermann brand and many of its products remained well into the 20th century. Edward Aschermann died in 1904, at the age of 70.

In or about the year 1863 the Milwaukee firm of Mossin & Marr were retained to engrave and strike tokens for Aschermann’s business. On the token’s obverse is Aschermann’s signature logo, featuring a Native American riding atop a pony. Six varieties of the token are known to exist, with the 510A-1a (R5) being the most available.
View Coin NY F-630AK-1a United States NY 1863 NEW YORK F-630AK-1a HUSSEY'S MESSAGE POST NGC MS 64 BN Purchased on 3/23/2012.

This is a very well preserved example of the NY630AK-1a token issued in 1863. This token has a rarity of R2 with approximately 2000-5000 expected to remain in existence today. A very nice description of this token can be found below from a recent article on the Nova Numismatics website.

------------------------------------------

By A. Packard, Numismatist - 30 October 2011

Mr. Hussey began his career at the Bank of New York in 1834. Working in the banking industry, Hussey saw a need for a service which could courier documents. At the time, the only services available for businesses were private postal services as well as the United States Postal Service. Unfortunately, neither of these two options could rapidly move documents amongst the various financial institutions located throughout New York City.

Seizing his opportunity, while remaining an employee at the bank, in 1854 Hussey founded the "Bank and Insurance City Post." Immediately Hussey's service was a resounding success. Filling a need so desperately sought, firms throughout the greater New York area employed his delivery services. Besides New York City itself, Hussey's territories also included delivery and pick-up in Brooklyn, Harlem, Staten Island, and Jersey City.

In 1858 Hussey renamed his firm "Hussey's Instant Special Message Service". It was at this time that he also moved his operations to 50 William Street. Employing a rotating staff of 25-40 messengers, Hussey issued his own "postal stamps" at a cost of 1-cent apiece. By 1862 Hussey raised his rates to 2-cents, and subsequently issued a 2-cent denomination stamp. For special deliveries, Hussey charged higher fees, and issued higher-denominated stamps accordingly.

In addition to his stamps, Hussey also issued his own Civil War Store Card in 1863. For another 12 years Hussey ran his Instant Special Message Service until 1875. Retiring due to ill health, Hussey sold his operation to Mr. Robert Easson. Unique to all merchants who issued Civil War Tokens, George Hussey is the only known businessman who also issued his own private postage stamps.
View Coin NY F-630AK-2a United States NY 1863 NEW YORK F-630AK-2a HUSSEY'S MESSAGE POST HUSSEY'S MESSAGE POST NGC MS 63 RB Purchased on 3/17/2012.
View Coin R-NY-NY-395A NY 1877 NEW YORK R-NY-NY-395A EDINBURGENS I.F.W. (ISAAC F. WOOD) NGC TOKEN MS 65 BN Purchased on 10/8/2013.

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