(1861-65) Civil War Sutler Token S-AP5R, Maroon Rubber I.A. Hutchinson

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by I.A. Hutchinson. This 5-cent rubber piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler whose token (S-AP5R) is made of maroon rubber, one of the most unusual compositions known for any Civil War token. Rubber tokens were produced in small numbers during the war, and their survival rate is extremely low due to the material's vulnerability to deterioration. Hutchinson's rubber token is a significant material culture artifact. Rubber composition is one of the rarest materials for any Civil War token series. Rubber tokens are among the rarest material types for any Civil War token series. Their survival rate is extremely low due to deterioration of the organic material. Issued during the Civil War era when federal coin hoarding created intense demand for privately struck camp currency. Fewer than 6,000 sutler token pieces are estimated to survive across all varieties, a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of patriotic and store card tokens that exist. Military regulations required sutlers to post their prices and submit to oversight by the regimental council of administration, which could revoke a sutler's license for gouging.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-AP5R. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). Rubber strikes are extremely rare for sutler tokens. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-AP5R