(1861-65) Civil War Sutler Token NT-FKa-25B, Civil War Sutler Token , J.W. Hugus

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.W. Hugus, sutler to the Fort Kearny (Nebraska Territory). This 25-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Sutler at Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory, cataloged under the NT-FK (Nebraska Territory-Fort Kearny) Schenkman prefix. Fort Kearny was a key waypoint on the Oregon Trail and a major military post on the Great Plains. Sutlers at frontier posts served both soldiers and civilian travelers, making their tokens circulate beyond the typical army camp context. Fort Kearny sutler tokens are rare frontier military pieces. Brass provided an ideal medium for sutler tokens — durable enough to withstand repeated handling in camp, resistant to tarnish, and economical for die sinkers to strike in quantity. Issued during the years when military camp commerce depended on private token currency to compensate for the federal coin shortage. 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 NT-FKa-25B. 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 NT-FKa-25B