(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-16-20B, C.P. Westcott

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by G.P. Westcott, sutler to the 16th U.S. Infantry (Regular Army). This 20-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler to the 16th U.S. Infantry, a Regular Army regiment (not a state volunteer unit). The name appears as both G.P. and C.P. Westcott on different tokens, possibly reflecting a misreading of period script on the dies. Dies were cut by John Stanton of Cincinnati. A Regular Army regiment that served throughout the war, distinguishing itself at Stones River and Chickamauga. Stanton produced dies in multiple denominations for each sutler client, typically offering 5-cent, 10-cent, and 25-cent pieces in brass. 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. Total surviving sutler tokens number in the low thousands, compared to the tens of thousands of patriotic tokens and hundreds of thousands of store cards that survive. Military regulations required sutlers to post their prices and submit to oversight by the regimental council of administration, which could revoke a sutler's license for gouging.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-16-20B. 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-16-20B