(1862) Copper Civil War Sutler Token SCH-MM-4, Monitor & Merrimac

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 MS62PL 04-13-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by Monitor & Merrimac (commercial). Struck in copper, this piece circulated as private camp currency redeemable for merchandise. A token referencing the famous March 9, 1862 naval battle between the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (ex-Merrimack) at Hampton Roads, Virginia. This piece straddles the boundary between sutler token and patriotic token, using the dramatic naval engagement as a commercial or patriotic motif. The copper composition gives this token a surface that ranges from bright original red to deep chocolate brown, depending on its storage conditions and handling history. Dated 1862, produced during the period when federal coin hoarding created severe currency shortages in military camps. Civil War tokens are classified into three categories, and sutler tokens represent the rarest, surviving in far smaller numbers than patriotic or merchant store card issues. Congressional acts in 1864 outlawed private coinage of all types, and the postwar reorganization of 1866 eliminated the sutler system in favor of government-run post exchanges.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman SCH-MM-4. 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 SCH-MM-4