THE LITTLE CIDER MILL CARDBOARD SCRIP

As I've pointed out in previous columns, attributing cardboard chits can be a very frustrating experience. Unlike Civil War tokens, a large percentage of which are dated, very few chits have a date. To compound the problem, it is unusual to encounter one with the issuer's city and state in its inscription. Fortunately, a street address is often present, and that often simplifies the task.

Recently I purchased a collection of 44 chits, nearly all of whom were issued by merchants in New York City. Researching them will be a lengthy process, but it will give me subjects for many columns, including this one.

 

The chit's obverse inscription is GOOD FOR / 1 CENT. / THE LITTLE CIDER MILL, / 728 SIXTH AVENUE. Printed on salmon colored stock, it is 25x39mm. The back is blank except for J S CLAPP, which is signed in ink. The collection also included a 2 CENTS denomination which is otherwise identical. It is printed on yellow cardboard.

 

The signature proved to be the key to identifying the chits. I had searched the New York City business directories of the 1860s, but found nothing for the Little Cider Mill, so I decided to search for a J. S. Clapp at the address on the chits. Bingo! I found John S. Clapp at the 728 Sixth Avenue address.

The earliest listing for Clapp was in the 1859-60 NYC directory, where he is listed as a confectioner at 728 Sixth Avenue. The next year's directory lists him as a dealer in candy on Sixth Avenue, and in the 1861-2 edition his establishment is listed as an eating house. The 1862-3 directory describes his business as liquors, suggesting that Clapp was having problems finding his niche.

In 1863-4, Clapp is back to being an eating house, and the next directory has the same listing, but at 748 Sixth Avenue. Although this might have been an error on the part of the directory's compiler, it is possible that the addresses on Sixth Avenue were renumbered. This was Clapp's last listing; in the June 28, 1864 New York Daily Herald he ran a small advertisement offering his business for sale. The 1865-6 directory only lists a residence address for him.

 

As the information above indicates, Clapp's chits were issued in New York City during the Civil War years, to help facilitate trade during the shortage of official currency.

Comments and questions regarding cardboard chits may be sent to dschenkman@verizon.net.

For more information on the Civil War Token Society, see:
https://www.cwtsociety.com/

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