(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-D10B, G. McAlpin

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by G. McAlpin. Struck in brass, this 10-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler who issued brass 10-cent tokens (S-D10B). The name appears in varying spellings across different records — also rendered as Geo. McAlpen on a copper 25-cent token (S-C25C dated 1861). This is the same issuer cataloged under different title formats. 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. Struck during the wartime era when sutlers relied on privately issued tokens to facilitate daily transactions with soldiers. Sutler tokens provide a direct window into the economic life of Civil War military camps and the soldiers who lived in them. Tokens from individual sutlers circulated in defined military communities, making each surviving piece an artifact of a specific regiment.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-D10B. 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-D10B