Need help identifing coin token or ?

[searcherman]

I found this Saturday at an old homesite.I have tried to clean it a little. This coin or token has words on both sides but I can only make out a few letters and the seem to be from another contry. This is A little smaller than a half dollar and thin like a flat button.On one side It has a stamp mark that I think Is Victorian. What do you think.Thanks

 

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[hogge]

A wild guess............... SC is South Carolina. There is some printing left on it. Can you make out the word?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like S C Co. or C S Co.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

A wild guess............... SC is South Carolina. There is some printing left on it. Can you make out the word?

I agree. South Carolina Co.
I bummed I cant make it out because it looks like it might be a good find there.

 

[intimer]

don't do this because i suggested it, but have you ever rubbed chalk on something with weak lettering and then rubbed it off gently leaving chalk where the lettering was?

it's cool if you could make out any lettering and let us know.

 

[SteveDodds]

Do you suppose it says Charleston right above the engraving on the second pic up from the bottom.

 

[searcherman]

Do you suppose it says Charleston right above the engraving on the second pic up from the bottom.

All I can make out is " CHAND" and underneath the SC co it looks like it has ..? UNSTART? I wish I could see It more clearer.
I've used some side Walk chalk but It didn't help I might try chalk board chalk instead.Is something else that I might can try.Thanks

 

[mick56]

You could try laying a piece of tinfoil over it and rubbing. Sometimes that will show more than the eye can see.

 

[Bramblefind]

What town/area did you find this in? Maybe it says "HALL" in the middle -around the design. Billiard Hall?

 

[searcherman]

On the last picture at the bottom. I can see "WORK" It's upside down. I hope this might help some.Thanks!

 

[ivan salis]

merCHANDise

 

[searcherman]

I have been soaking this object in half water half Ammonia and It has help a lot on being able to see some more letters.
Does anybody think that this is a good idea to keep cleaning the coin or ? or not.Thanks

 

[Woodland Detectors]

merCHANDise

Yep. It's a token/scrip alright.
Too bad we can't make it out.

 

[intimer]

merCHANDise

wow! ivan cool info.
try the foil or pencil and paper effort any lettering is helpful. would at least be neat to determine the type of token it is.

i would like to find out more and help. would you summarize the lettering if you find more. a piece here and there can really help when shown as a whole.

 

[ivan salis]

as in worth "whatever" amount of merchandise when you shop or do bussiness with them---(whatever its "value" was ) -- so its a some sort of store or shop type trade token clearly

 

[searcherman]

I sent more pictures hope this might help some.The first picture I can see ....NSTART..? The other photo I Can see ..CHAND..?
The last is the token next to a half dollar so you can see thickness.Don't know if any of this might help.The location I found this is in west central Kentucky. Thanks!

 

[ivan salis]

ah ky? --- start thinking coal compay maybe -- say like Southern Coal CO mpany -- or something like that -- good chance its a coal company store "token" -- coal companys were famous for "controlling" their workers fiscally by issuing company script money and store tokens --instead of cash * which forced them to shop at the company stores (most often at highly inflated prices )- the end of "company" cash era was when the us govt started "income taxes" -- the coal workers said --we can not pay "taxes" we got no "cash money"-- so the govt to get their "taxes" out lawed paying folks in coal "company" script past a certain date --many coal companys "simply" cleared their books the day before by making all workers show up and take their "pay" in script --- to not show up meant you were "fired" that day and could still be "legally" paid in script when you showed up to collect your pay owed to you -- afterwards the next day company stores would not redeem the tokens into cash or give cash in change to -- so you were to in effect "spend off" the company money at the stores over time and after a certain point of time they would "no longer" be accepted at all -- so afterwards many folks threw away these hated "company" tokens now that they were valueless

is the area it was found at near a local coal mining area ? if so look up old local coal mining companies in the area wthat start with "S" as in S---------------- Coal COmpany store --good for "whatever amount" of merchandise-- maybe 50 cents since often the value was set by the size of the coin --50 cent size --50 cent value -- just like "real" money

 

[intimer]

i understand scrip was used into the 1950's, but outlawed much earlier.

 

[searcherman]

I have found coal script at this site before. It had "ViVa Ky" on that script and I researched It and it came from south easter Kentucky Laurel county "1900-1933" and all that I have found was the church is the only thing that bears that name.Just thought I would throw that in there. Thinks again!

 

[ivan salis]

some company store places still accepted the "company" cash that was "force issued" to the employees for many years afterward-- all the coal companys paid off any debts to their workers ahead of the deadline --- in atttempt to beat having to pay the workers in "real cash money" -- later on some companys tried to force folks to redeem their "company" cash by a "certain" time frame or have it declared valueless -- the miners in return burnt down the company stores to get even -- they said its our damn "company issued" money and we will spend it as and when we please and you best damn well honor it or esle. thats why as late as the 50's it was still seen and in use ( being redeemed in company stores)--even thought it had long since been outlawed to be paid with it for your work .