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Trade tokens, "good fors", bingles, scrip, chits, seco, whatever you call them, trade tokens have become a respected collectable, and an expanding branch of numismatics. The collecting of tokens, is called "exonumia", and includes other types of tokens, including transit tokens, encased cents, and many others. In a narrow sense, trade tokens are the "good for" tokens, issued by merchants. Generally they have a merchants name, sometimes a town and state, and also the required "good for 5¢" (or other denomination) legend somewhere on the token. Types of merchants that issued tokens include general stores, grocers, department stores, meat markets, drug stores, saloons, bars, taverns, barbers, coal mines, lumber mills, and many other businesses. Trade tokens are often made from aluminum, or brass. Some are seen in nickel, fiber, celluloid and vulcanite. The most desirable tokens have the town and state on the token. Many factors affect value of tokens, including if the town and state are on the token, the rarity, condition and type of business. Another important factor is the number of tokens known from the town.
How can I find trade tokens to collect ?
A good place to start, is with your friends and family. Let your friends know you collect trade tokens, and show them one, if they don't know what tokens look like. Carry a token around in you pocket for this purpose. Be sure and ask you family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, for any old tokens they might have. Other productive places to find tokens, are flea markets, garage sales, antique shops and malls, coin shows, coin shops, second hand stores, junk shops in small towns, metal detector hobbyists, and through trades and mail bid sales in token publications.
What do tokens look like ?
Tokens can vary widely in appearance, and there are many fakes, fantasy tokens and other poorly made copies, that are sold to unsuspecting collectors. Experience is the best guard against these fakes, but even the veteran collectors are taken by them now and then. Genuine trade tokens have a certain look about them, that you will become familiar with the more you handle them. Trade tokens discussed here were used generally between about 1867 and current day. We do not neglect post 1950 trade tokens as many of them are not only genuine trade tokens but quite interesting, affordable and attractive to the eye.
This is merchant trade token from San Antonio, Texas.
In this web site, we will reprint some of the articles that have appeared in various exonumia (token) and numismatic publications including the Tasmanian Numismatic Society Newsletter; "Talkin' Tokens" the monthly magazine of NTCA; the monthly news magazine of the American Israel Numismatic Association: "The Shekel"; the publication of the Numismatists of Wisconsin the N.O.W. News; "Mint Luster" (Oklahoma Numismatic Association); and "The Stockyard Collector". In addition there are also several articles that appear here for the first time. (The values shown for tokens in this website are estimated values, and are for information only, and not intended as an offer to buy or sell.)
Trade Token Tales web-site index:
Click
here for links to related sites
Who becomes a token collector ?
Many metal detector users, coin collectors, historians, bottle diggers, contractors, police officers, teachers and others become token collectors. Some people collect tokens as related to their vocation, as the bus driver who collects transit tokens from different cities. Many coin collectors become token collectors, as they become more interested in the history of a certain area, or type of business. Token collecting combines the aesthetic appreciations of a coin collector with the study of the past that interests historians.
webmaster and author is: Mr. Jerry Adams of Fort Worth, Texas, USA (really Keller, Texas, but no one knows where that is)
member #105 National Token Collectors Association (NTCA) - USA
member #R-3142968 American Numismatic Association (ANA) - USA
member #363 Tasmanian Numismatic Society (TNS)- Tasmania, Australia
member #448 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collectors Club (WBCC) - World Wide web based
member #R-6551 Texas Numismatic Association, Inc. (TNA) - USA
member #11030 American Israel Numismatic Association, Inc. (AINA) - USA
member Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) - USA
member The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) - USA
member # 334 Encased Collectors International (Knowledge thru Fellowship) - USA
member #R-9380 Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) - USA
member #1984 Numismatists of Wisconsin (NOW) - USA
member # 489 International Society of Animal License Collectors (ISALC) - USA
member # 228 Southeastern Token Society (SETS) - USA
member Pennsylvania Area Token Collectors Organization (PATCO) - USA
member (CARTS) Carolina Area Token Society - USA
email requests for permission for reprints may be sent to red13starwood@yahoo.com be sure include word TOKEN in header.. and please include your name, where you are located in the world (state if in the USA), and if you have a question about a token you found, you should let me know at least where it was found, the state for instance. I am not coming to dig tokens at your secret spot, but I can't identify a token if I don't have a clue where it was found.
Free appraisals of tokens are NOT my business. However I am generally agreeable to give brief answers to token questions. Thanks.
For ebay sniping, the sniping service I use for many years without problem is:
Auction Sniper
updated: 15 jan 2008
06/13/08
