✅ SOLVED Aluminum Token

[muerte33]

Has anyone ever found one of these aluminum tokens?
It is about the size of a dime, but very thin.
The back side has nothing on it that I can see.
It was found in Southern MS at an old school location.
Thanks very much!

 

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[creskol]

Maybe a picker's token ..10 pecks of apples?

 

[austin]

Possibly game token or token given by teacher to redeem later...

 

[idahotokens]

It looks to me to be the center part of what is called a "Bi-metallic" token. This is an example of a similar one that hasn't had the center part punched out. I'll try to see if I can find one with the exact center. Double check the other side - they are often quite badly worn and may appear smooth.
Ora, Mississippi (Covington County), U.S.A. [CA5]

? $$ BIM R 25 [CA5]

GOOD ONLY AT COMPANY'S STORE / EASTERLING / LUMBER / COMPANY / ORA, MISS. / NOT TRANSFERABLE GOOD FOR / 10 / PAT. / APPLD FOR / IN MERCHANDISE TC-188576; Trantow MS748A-10

John in the Great 208

 

[idahotokens]

Here's maybe a better example:
Cashs Depot, South Carolina, U.S.A. [CA5]

$$$ Unlisted BIM R ? [CA5]

THE VOSBURG CO. / INCORPORATED / CASHS DEPOT, S.C. GOOD FOR / 10 / PAT. / APPL'D FOR / IN MERCHANDISE TC-435897 *** Image courtesy of ebay seller SteveHayden.

John

 

[idahotokens]

Well, it looks like I can't come up with an exact example. Schenkman's book, Bimetallic Trade Tokens of the United States, pictures only about ten percent of the tokens he lists. Plus, rather than being a list by state, he lists by business name. That info, unfortunately, is almost always on the brass outer ring.

The bi-metallic token you have part of indicates Patent Applied For. An employee of token manufacturing company S. D. Childs and Co. of Chicago filed for the patent which was granted in 1899 (632,938). It is believed that even though the Childs Company made tokens stating Pat. July, 1899, that they continued to use dies saying Patent Applied For until they broke or wore out. That isn't helpful in dating when this token was made. Nor is the fact that they continued making this type of token into the 1920s. They sold their tokens all over the country.

You will note the pattern around the outside of your piece. The junction between the brass outer ring and the aluminum inner disc was stamped over by a wreath pattern in most cases. What you see is the inside half of the leaves in this wreath.

I find one more example on tokencatalog which may be a possibility. It shows the obverse side of the aluminum part to be blank. Plus, it is from Alabama, not too far from where you got this:
Holman, Alabama (Tuscaloosa County), U.S.A. [CA1] (also attributed to Northport [CA2])

$$ Unlisted BIM R 25 [CA1]*

HOLMAN-HUGHES LUMBER CO. / GILBERT HOLMAN (in script) GOOD FOR / 10 / PAT. / APPLD. FOR / IN MERCHANDISE TC-161153; Alabama Also attributed to Northport *** Trantow listed this company incorrectly under Columbia, TN. The Holman & Hughes “Sawmill” is first found in the 1915 Sawmill Directory Of Alabama at Holman. By 1917 the Holman & Hughes “Sawmill” had moved to Northport, which is 15 miles east of Holman. This appears to have been a short-lived enterprise as they are not listed at Holman or Northport in 1914 or 1918. R7

As with all tokens illustrated on tokencatalog, you can click on the thumbnail image to get an enlarged image, view other tokens with the same catalog info, and see any supplemental info that may be there.

John

 

[creskol]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us John. I'm always happy to see you chime in.

 

[AU Seeker]

Well, it looks like I can't come up with an exact example. Schenkman's book, Bimetallic Trade Tokens of the United States, pictures only about ten percent of the tokens he lists. Plus, rather than being a list by state, he lists by business name. That info, unfortunately, is almost always on the brass outer ring.

The bi-metallic token you have part of indicates Patent Applied For. An employee of token manufacturing company S. D. Childs and Co. of Chicago filed for the patent which was granted in 1899 (632,938). It is believed that even though the Childs Company made tokens stating Pat. July, 1899, that they continued to use dies saying Patent Applied For until they broke or wore out. That isn't helpful in dating when this token was made. Nor is the fact that they continued making this type of token into the 1920s. They sold their tokens all over the country.

You will note the pattern around the outside of your piece. The junction between the brass outer ring and the aluminum inner disc was stamped over by a wreath pattern in most cases. What you see is the inside half of the leaves in this wreath.

I find one more example on tokencatalog which may be a possibility. It shows the obverse side of the aluminum part to be blank. Plus, it is from Alabama, not too far from where you got this:
Holman, Alabama (Tuscaloosa County), U.S.A. [CA1] (also attributed to Northport [CA2])

$$ Unlisted BIM R 25 [CA1]*

HOLMAN-HUGHES LUMBER CO. / GILBERT HOLMAN (in script) GOOD FOR / 10 / PAT. / APPLD. FOR / IN MERCHANDISE TC-161153; Alabama Also attributed to Northport *** Trantow listed this company incorrectly under Columbia, TN. The Holman & Hughes “Sawmill” is first found in the 1915 Sawmill Directory Of Alabama at Holman. By 1917 the Holman & Hughes “Sawmill” had moved to Northport, which is 15 miles east of Holman. This appears to have been a short-lived enterprise as they are not listed at Holman or Northport in 1914 or 1918. R7

As with all tokens illustrated on tokencatalog, you can click on the thumbnail image to get an enlarged image, view other tokens with the same catalog info, and see any supplemental info that may be there.

John

Good ID John!

You have a link in your last post, but no links in your first 2, could you post the links for those tokens?

 

[idahotokens]

I always have trouble getting links and photos from tokencatalog. Here't the first one, Ora, MS:
Display Token Records - All States

and the second one, Cashs Depot, SC:
Display Token Records - All States

Both done the hard way... You can always go to tokencatalog.com and search with various terms. Using the TC number works if you have it.

John

 

[muerte33]

I have the book "Brozenes and Doodlum: Private Money in Mississippi" by George P. Chatham.
I did not think to look for a bi-metallic token.
Thanks everyone, I will do some more research.
I might can enter this find in our monthly contest as my token.

Update:
The Albertson Saw mill was very close to this location (Ikeler had a commisary/store that used tokens).
http://www.msrailroads.com/Ikeler_PM.htm
This site lists the P.M. Ikeler mill as having bi-metallic tokens:
http://wbcc-online.com/tokens/us_tokens/ustradek.htm

The token book I have only shows the perimeter of the token on page 198 (issued 1905-1920).
I guess there was a 1.00, 5, and 10 cent one issued (A100, A10, A05).
The codes SDC Die #2, SDC Die #1, and Trantow 648A are listed too.
I would scan that section of page 198, but it is probably not legal to do so.

Probably ought to go back to the site and harvest all the pull tab signals now to see if I can retrieve the perimeter.
There were lots of them too.

Thanks John (IdahoTokens)!
I appreciate your help/research!!

 

[muerte33]

I went back to the same site today and found the .50 variety. It read a 77 on my AT PRO at about 10 inches.
It was also missing the brass ring.
It was about the size of a penny. The .10 one I found above was smaller than this one.

 

[alabama11]

Very nice find. We had similar ones in ALA in the 1940s. Some say Alabama commissary Tax Token. Made of aluminum. About quarter size.