(1862) Copper Civil War Sutler Token S-97-10CA, PE Whited Co.

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 AU50BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by S. Whited & Co., sutler to the 97th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. This 10-cent copper piece functioned as camp scrip, exchangeable for provisions and sundries at the sutler's traveling store. Sutler firm serving the 97th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Their 1863-dated 10-cent tokens feature an Indian Head obverse paired with a patriotic design, blurring the line between sutler and patriotic tokens. Participated in the Vicksburg Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea. Struck in copper, which produces a reddish surface that acquires a rich brown patina with age. Copper pieces generally survive in better condition than softer metals. Dated 1862, produced during the period when federal coin hoarding created severe currency shortages in military camps. Total surviving sutler tokens number in the low thousands, compared to the tens of thousands of patriotic tokens and hundreds of thousands of store cards that survive. 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-97-10CA. 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-97-10CA