(1861-65) Lead Civil War Sutler Token S-1-5L, J.J. Benson

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.J. Benson, sutler to the 1st Mounted Rifles, New York. This 5-cent lead piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler to the 1st Mounted Rifles. Issued tokens in multiple denominations. The Mounted Rifles served primarily in the Eastern Theater of operations. Operated as mobile infantry capable of fighting mounted or dismounted. Struck in lead, one of the softer metals used for sutler tokens. The material's malleability meant these pieces wore quickly in circulation. Struck during the wartime era when sutlers relied on privately issued tokens to facilitate daily transactions with soldiers. 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 S-1-5L. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). In lead, this variety falls within the uncommon range for the series. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-1-5L