(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-AD25B, Vanderbeek

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by William Vanderbeek, sutler to the 158th New York Volunteer Infantry. Struck in brass, this 25-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler to the 158th New York Volunteer Infantry. New York, as the most populous Northern state, raised hundreds of regiments and was home to numerous sutlers. Served in the Department of the Gulf and participated in operations along the Louisiana coast. The brass composition places this piece among the majority of surviving sutler tokens, which were struck in this durable alloy. Manufacturers obtained their brass blanks from the same commercial metalworking supply chains that served button makers and hardware producers. Produced in the war years when soldiers and sutlers alike depended on token currency for everyday camp transactions. 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-AD25B. 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-AD25B