(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-B100B, R.S. Parker

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by R.S. Parker. This one-dollar ($1) brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler who issued a brass 100-cent ($1) token (S-B100B). The $1 denomination is the highest value known for sutler tokens, shared with only a handful of other issuers including J.A. Garman and V. Beaudry. The B100 designation confirms this as a true dollar-value piece. Dollar-denomination sutler tokens are among the rarest and most valuable in the series. 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. Manufactured during the peak years of sutler token production, when camp commerce required a reliable medium of exchange. Sutlers held official military licenses to operate as the designated civilian merchants within specific regiments, selling everything from tobacco to writing paper. The postwar reorganization of 1866 abolished sutlers in favor of the post exchange system, marking the end of private military camp merchants.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-B100B. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). In brass, this variety falls within the common range for the series. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-B100B