This month's featured token is a nice pre-1900 brass piece
approximately 35mm in diameter. The obverse inscription reads as
follows: Post Exchange, 10¢, Fort Moultrie, S.C. The reverse is
blank except for the picture of a key. The significance of this
key is not known. The fact that all of the letters and the
numerals are incuse (stamped into the surface of the metal
rather than in relief like modern coins) can be used to date the
token in a general sense. Incuse tokens were generally made in
the 1880s and 1890s. This token is extremely rare; I personally
know of only three specimens, two in collectors' hands and one
ensconced in the Fort Moultrie Museum. Several different sets of
tokens were used at the Fort Moultrie Post Exchange (PX, for
short). They were primarily used to enable the troops to get an
advance against future wages. If a particular soldier found
himself broke a couple of days before payday, he was advanced
these tokens so that he could obtain essential items from the
post exchange. The amount