(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-1-5B, J.M. Kerr

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.M. Kerr, sutler to the Simmonds Battery, Kentucky. Struck in brass, this 5-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler to Simmonds Battery, a Kentucky artillery unit. Artillery batteries, being smaller than infantry regiments, rarely had their own sutlers, making battery-specific sutler tokens uncommon. A Kentucky artillery battery serving in the Western Theater. 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. Struck during the wartime era when sutlers relied on privately issued tokens to facilitate daily transactions with soldiers. 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-1-5B. 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-1-5B