(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Sutler Token S-1, CNa Simmonds-J.M. Kerr

Coin Details

Description

Civil War sutler token issued by J.M. Kerr, sutler to the Simmonds Battery, Kentucky. This copper-nickel 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. Struck in copper-nickel, the same alloy used for federal Indian Head cents. This composition is uncommon for sutler tokens. Dated 1864. These tokens preserve a record of the commercial relationships between soldiers and the civilian merchants who served them. Tokens from individual sutlers circulated in defined military communities, making each surviving piece an artifact of a specific regiment. The sutler system gave licensed merchants a monopoly on camp commerce, and soldiers frequently complained about inflated prices. Congress limited debt collection to one-sixth of a soldier's monthly pay in March 1862.

Rarity Notes

Schenkman S-1. All sutler tokens are rated R-5 or higher on the Fuld rarity scale (fewer than 200 surviving examples of any given variety). In copper-nickel, 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