(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-E10B, Pennsylvania Volunteers

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Pennsylvania Volunteers, sutler to the Pennsylvania Volunteer unit (specific regiment varies by Schenkman number). This 10-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler tokens for Pennsylvania Volunteer units. Pennsylvania organized 215 infantry regiments, 22 cavalry regiments, and 17 artillery batteries during the war. Multiple Schenkman numbers appear with this generic attribution, indicating different regiments that shared stock die designs or whose specific sutler names were not included on the tokens. Struck in brass, the alloy most commonly employed by sutler token manufacturers during the war years. The durability of the brass composition means that many surviving tokens retain legible inscriptions and identifiable design features. 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-E10B. 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-E10B