(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-11-25B, Sid Wright

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Sidney Wright, sutler to the 11th Indiana Cavalry. This 25-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler to the 11th Indiana Cavalry regiment. Indiana contributed significant cavalry forces to the Union Army, and sutlers traveling with mounted units faced the additional challenge of keeping pace with fast-moving cavalry operations. Conducted mounted operations in Kentucky and Tennessee. Produced in brass, the workhorse alloy of Civil War-era private token manufacturers. The durability of the brass composition means that many surviving tokens retain legible inscriptions and identifiable design features. Produced in the war years when soldiers and sutlers alike depended on token currency for everyday camp transactions. Civil War tokens are classified into three categories, and sutler tokens represent the rarest, surviving in far smaller numbers than patriotic or merchant store card issues. Twin Congressional acts in 1864 criminalized private token issuance, and the 1866 legislation that dissolved the sutler system rendered these tokens obsolete artifacts of wartime commerce.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-11-25B. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). Brass strikes are common for sutler tokens. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-11-25B