(1861) Brass Civil War Sutler Token S-51-25B, H. Lester

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by H. Lester, sutler to the 51st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Struck in brass, this 25-cent token circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise from the sutler. Sutler to the 51st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, organized at Camp Douglas, Chicago and mustered December 24, 1861. His tokens bear inscriptions reading GOOD FOR [denomination] CENTS IN GOODS AT SUTLERS STORE, 51ST REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, with this 25-cent piece being the highest denomination in Lester's series. Dies were cut by S.D. Childs of Chicago. The 51st Illinois served at Stones River, Perryville, Chickamauga, and in the Atlanta Campaign. The Childs firm in Chicago was one of the primary Midwestern sources for sutler token dies, producing pieces for Illinois and other nearby state regiments. The brass composition places this piece among the majority of surviving sutler tokens, which were struck in this durable alloy. Token manufacturers sourced brass planchets from Midwestern and Northeastern metal suppliers who served the broader commercial stamping industry. Dated 1861, from the first year of the Civil War when the sutler token system was still being established.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-51-25B. 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-51-25B