(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-1b-50B, V. Beaudry

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Victor Beaudry, sutler to the 1st U.S. Cavalry (Camp Independence, California). This 50-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. French-Canadian merchant born c. 1829 who served as sutler and commissary agent at Camp Independence in the Owens Valley, California. Beaudry opened a store at Fort Independence, then at Cerro Gordo. By 1868 he had traded customer debts for mining property and became a silver bullion king of early Los Angeles as smelter and part-owner of the Union mine. His brother Prudent Beaudry served as mayor of Los Angeles (1874-1876). His $1.00 denomination token is among the highest-value sutler pieces. The Beaudry family name is preserved in Beaudry Avenue in Los Angeles. Stationed at Camp Independence in the Owens Valley of eastern California, maintaining order on the frontier. Dies were cut by Koehler of Baltimore, Maryland. Brass tokens dominated sutler currency production because the alloy combined reasonable cost with the physical durability demanded by camp circulation. Manufactured during the peak years of sutler token production, when camp commerce required a reliable medium of exchange.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-1b-50B. 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-1b-50B