(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-1-10B, J.J. Benson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 AU50 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.J. Benson, sutler to the 1st Mounted Rifles, New York. Struck in brass, this 10-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler to the 1st Mounted Rifles. Issued tokens in multiple denominations. The Mounted Rifles served primarily in the Eastern Theater of operations. Operated as mobile infantry capable of fighting mounted or dismounted. Most sutler tokens were produced in brass, and this piece reflects the standard material choice of wartime token manufacturers. The brass stock came from established commercial suppliers, the same firms that provided blanks for buttons, badges, and other stamped metal goods. Issued during the years when military camp commerce depended on private token currency to compensate for the federal coin shortage. Sutlers held official military licenses to operate as the designated civilian merchants within specific regiments, selling everything from tobacco to writing paper. The postwar reorganization of 1866 abolished sutlers in favor of the post exchange system, marking the end of private military camp merchants.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-1-10B. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). In brass, this variety falls within the common range for the series. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-1-10B