(1861-65) Civil War Sutler Token S-61-25B, John Stanton

Coin Details

Auction Record

$720 AU58 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by John Stanton (Die Sinker). This 25-cent brass token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Cincinnati die sinker who operated the largest Civil War token manufacturing enterprise. Along with employees James Murdock Jr. and William W. Spencer, Stanton produced tokens for approximately 440 merchants across 12 states. His signature reads JOHN STANTON DIE SINKER CINCINNATI. Generic sutler tokens bearing only his name without a specific sutler were produced as stock dies available for field use. Dies were cut by John Stanton of Cincinnati, Ohio, the largest Civil War token manufacturer. The brass composition offered a practical balance of durability and cost, producing tokens that could endure the rough conditions of military camp commerce. Manufactured during the peak years of sutler token production, when camp commerce required a reliable medium of exchange. These tokens preserve a record of the commercial relationships between soldiers and the civilian merchants who served them. Tokens from individual sutlers circulated in defined military communities, making each surviving piece an artifact of a specific regiment.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-61-25B. 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 S-61-25B