(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-A10B, Bare & Rauch

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Bare & Rauch, sutler to the 11th Regiment (possibly Indiana). Struck in brass, this 10-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler partnership whose brass tokens (S-11-5Ba, S-A10B) indicate service with an 11th regiment. The partnership format was common among sutlers, allowing shared capital and risk in the camp merchant trade. This brass composition was typical of sutler tokens, as the alloy offered manufacturers an economical way to produce durable camp currency. Brass planchets were procured through commercial metal distributors who supplied the broader token, button, and hardware manufacturing trade. Manufactured during the war years when private tokens filled the coinage vacuum in military camps across the Union states. Sutler tokens rank as the rarest category in the Civil War token series, with far fewer surviving examples than either patriotic or store card types. Federal legislation in April and June 1864 banned private token production, and the sutler system itself was officially terminated in 1866.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-A10B. 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-A10B