(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-62-10B, Hosmer & Crowther

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Hosmer & Crowther, sutler to the 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This 10-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. A sutler partnership serving the 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Notable for issuing tokens in multiple denominations including the rare 100-cent ($1) denomination. Ohio contributed more sutlers than any other state. Served in the Army of the Cumberland, participating in the Atlanta Campaign. 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. Struck during the period when the federal coin shortage drove widespread adoption of privately issued tokens in military camps. Civil War tokens are classified into three categories, and sutler tokens represent the rarest, surviving in far smaller numbers than patriotic or merchant store card issues. Congressional acts in 1864 outlawed private coinage of all types, and the postwar reorganization of 1866 eliminated the sutler system in favor of government-run post exchanges.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-62-10B. 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-62-10B