(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-8-25B, P. Merwin

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by P. Merwin, sutler to the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This 25-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Sutler to the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, organized in April 1861. The 8th Ohio served in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where it helped repulse Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863. Organized in April 1861. Served in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where it helped repulse Pickett's Charge. Brass tokens dominated sutler currency production because the alloy combined reasonable cost with the physical durability demanded by camp circulation. Struck during the period when the federal coin shortage drove widespread adoption of privately issued tokens in military camps. Of the three main Civil War token categories, sutler tokens are the least numerous, surviving in quantities dwarfed by patriotic and store card issues. Federal prohibition of private tokens in 1864 halted new sutler token production, and the 1866 abolition of the sutler system closed this chapter of military commerce permanently.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-8-25B. 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-8-25B