Coin or what

kenbaker329

Tenderfoot
Oct 11, 2005
8
0
Three Rivers, Mi

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These (what I call "generic") trade tokens were sometimes used by general stores that chose not to have customized tokens made with their name and location. The benefit was that they were cheap for the merchant to buy, but the downside was that they could not tell whether the token came from them or from the store down the road.

John in ID
 

idahotokens said:
These (what I call "generic") trade tokens were sometimes used by general stores that chose not to have customized tokens made with their name and location. The benefit was that they were cheap for the merchant to buy, but the downside was that they could not tell whether the token came from them or from the store down the road.

John in ID

Were trade tokens made in 50 cent denomonations? All the ones I have seen posted are for small coin, 1,5,10 cent tokens.

John
 

Typical general store token sets were 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1, but 1¢, $5, and $10 were sometimes used as well. The 1¢ tokens weren't cost effective as they cost about 1¢ to have made, and the higher denomination tokens weren't popular as they represented a LOT of money in those days.

These tokens were used in two primary ways. First, farm people would sell butter and eggs (etc.) to the store and be paid either in cash at a discount since it could be spent anywhere, or in tokens which supposedly could only be spent at the store. Second, if customers needed to borrow money for staples until "the crops come in", the store would loan them money in the form of these tokens. Again, if they loaned cash, the borrower could spend it anywhere, but if they loaned value in the form of tokens, it could supposedly be spent only at the store. I say supposedly because everybody needs to eat, and a lot of other people accepted tokens just the same as cash. Barbers, newspapermen, etc. would often take tokens rather than lose business.

John in ID
 

idahotokens said:
Typical general store token sets were 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1, but 1¢, $5, and $10 were sometimes used as well. The 1¢ tokens weren't cost effective as they cost about 1¢ to have made, and the higher denomination tokens weren't popular as they represented a LOT of money in those days.

These tokens were used in two primary ways. First, farm people would sell butter and eggs (etc.) to the store and be paid either in cash at a discount since it could be spent anywhere, or in tokens which supposedly could only be spent at the store. Second, if customers needed to borrow money for staples until "the crops come in", the store would loan them money in the form of these tokens. Again, if they loaned cash, the borrower could spend it anywhere, but if they loaned value in the form of tokens, it could supposedly be spent only at the store. I say supposedly because everybody needs to eat, and a lot of other people accepted tokens just the same as cash. Barbers, newspapermen, etc. would often take tokens rather than lose business.

John in ID

Thanks for the information, very interesting.

John
 

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