(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-41-5B, J.C. Benton

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 AU55 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.C. Benton, sutler to the 41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. This 5-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler to the 41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, organized at Decatur, Illinois. His copper 10-cent token was produced by S.D. Childs of Chicago. The 41st Illinois served in the Western Theater and fought at Shiloh, where the regiment helped hold the Union line on the first day of battle. Organized at Decatur, Illinois. Fought at Shiloh, where the regiment helped hold the Union line on the first day. Dies were cut by S.D. Childs of Chicago, Illinois (117-1/2 Randolph Street). Manufactured in brass, which accounted for the bulk of sutler token production during the 1860s. Brass proved an effective striking medium, and tokens from this era often display remarkably well-preserved details despite decades of handling. Issued during the years when military camp commerce depended on private token currency to compensate for the federal coin shortage.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-41-5B. 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-41-5B