(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-158-25B, Wm. Vanderbeer

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by William Vanderbeek, sutler to the 158th New York Volunteer Infantry. This 25-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Sutler to the 158th New York Volunteer Infantry. New York, as the most populous Northern state, raised hundreds of regiments and was home to numerous sutlers. Served in the Department of the Gulf and participated in operations along the Louisiana coast. Brass was favored by token manufacturers for its workability and longevity, yielding pieces that retained legible details even after extensive circulation among soldiers. Struck during the period when the federal coin shortage drove widespread adoption of privately issued tokens in military camps. Sutler tokens rank as the rarest category in the Civil War token series, with far fewer surviving examples than either patriotic or store card types. Federal prohibition of private tokens in 1864 halted new sutler token production, and the 1866 abolition of the sutler system closed this chapter of military commerce permanently.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-158-25B. 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-158-25B