(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-84b-10B, G.S. Maddy & Co.

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,560 MS63 06-16-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by G.S. Maddy & Co., sutler to the 84th Regiment (variety b). Struck in brass, this 10-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler firm whose tokens (S-84b-10B, S-Q25B) indicate service with an 84th regiment. Maddy & Co. issued tokens in 10-cent and 25-cent denominations in brass. Most sutler tokens were produced in brass, and this piece reflects the standard material choice of wartime token manufacturers. Manufacturers obtained their brass blanks from the same commercial metalworking supply chains that served button makers and hardware producers. Manufactured during the war years when private tokens filled the coinage vacuum in military camps across the Union states. Total surviving sutler tokens number in the low thousands, compared to the tens of thousands of patriotic tokens and hundreds of thousands of store cards that survive. Military regulations required sutlers to post their prices and submit to oversight by the regimental council of administration, which could revoke a sutler's license for gouging.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-84b-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-84b-10B