(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-27-5B, John Stanton

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by John Stanton (Die Sinker). Struck in brass, this 5-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Cincinnati die sinker who operated the largest Civil War token manufacturing enterprise. Along with employees James Murdock Jr. and William W. Spencer, Stanton produced tokens for approximately 440 merchants across 12 states. His signature reads JOHN STANTON DIE SINKER CINCINNATI. Generic sutler tokens bearing only his name without a specific sutler were produced as stock dies available for field use. Dies were cut by John Stanton of Cincinnati, Ohio, the largest Civil War token manufacturer. Brass was the predominant metal for sutler tokens, chosen for its balance of striking quality and production economy. Token manufacturers sourced brass planchets from Midwestern and Northeastern metal suppliers who served the broader commercial stamping industry. Issued during the years when military camp commerce depended on private token currency to compensate for the federal coin shortage.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-27-5B. 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-27-5B