(1861-65) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-K50B, RE , H. Jones

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by H. Jones. This 50-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Sutler who issued brass tokens in 5-cent (S-K5B) and 50-cent (S-K50B) denominations. The name also appears as Wm. H. Jones on a separate listing (UI-D-5Bc), confirming this as William H. Jones. The RE prefix in the title is a parsing artifact from the original catalog transcription. Brass was favored by token manufacturers for its workability and longevity, yielding pieces that retained legible details even after extensive circulation among soldiers. Issued during the Civil War era when federal coin hoarding created intense demand for privately struck camp currency. 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. Federal regulations required sutlers to operate under the supervision of the regimental council of administration, which set price limits and could dismiss sutlers for overcharging.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-K50B. 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-K50B