(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-H5B, John W. Christy-John Stanton

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by John W. Christy, sutler to the 37th Regiment. This 5-cent brass piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler to a 37th regiment, issuing brass tokens including an unusual 4-cent denomination (S-37-4B). The 4-cent denomination is one of the rarest among sutler tokens, as most issuers used standard 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100-cent values. Dies were cut by John Stanton of Cincinnati, Ohio, the largest Civil War token manufacturer. Manufactured in brass, which accounted for the bulk of sutler token production during the 1860s. Brass tokens from this period frequently survive with readable inscriptions, a testament to the alloy's resistance to wear. Issued during the years when military camp commerce depended on private token currency to compensate for the federal coin shortage. Sutler tokens document the commercial infrastructure of Civil War military camps in tangible, collectible form. Each token circulated among soldiers of a specific regiment, giving surviving pieces a direct connection to identifiable military units.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-H5B. 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-H5B