(1861) Copper Civil War Sutler Token S-1-25C, J.M. Kerr-Simmonds Battery

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.M. Kerr, sutler to the Simmonds Battery, Kentucky. This 25-cent copper token served as camp currency, redeemable for goods at the sutler's field store. Sutler to Simmonds Battery, a Kentucky artillery unit. Artillery batteries, being smaller than infantry regiments, rarely had their own sutlers, making battery-specific sutler tokens uncommon. A Kentucky artillery battery serving in the Western Theater. Copper was the second most common metal for sutler tokens, producing pieces with a distinctive reddish surface that often tones to brown over time. Dated 1861, from the first year of the Civil War when the sutler token system was still being established. 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-1-25C. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). Copper strikes are common for sutler tokens. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 sutler token pieces survive across all varieties.

Cross References

Schenkman S-1-25C