French Coins - New Auburn, MN

[dfxdude]

I had to detour Hwy 212 between Brownton & Glencoe due to construction and the detour took me through New Auburn, pop. 488. I noticed a city park going through and stopped there enroute to home. Found two unlikely finds, a 2 Franc and 1/2 Franc coin in sand in playground. Also found $1 Sacajawea 2000-D and a PEPSI token.
The PEPSI token is dated 1983 and says "SPECIAL EFFECTS" with Chippewa Falls, WI and Eau Claire, WI on it. Does anyone know the significance of this type of token?

[werleibr]

I wish I did. Did you stop by the park on Old 53? I am from a small town just east of there. There are many Forign exchange students that go threw the schools in that area. That may be were the French coins came from. As for the Pepsi one? I am thinking it had to to with a Fair. Kind of like a Beer token, but for a soda.

[dfxdude]

It was in NW part of town about 1 block off Hwy 22/15.

[werleibr]

It was in NW part of town about 1 block off Hwy 22/15.

Ha ha. I am a dumb dumb. I seen New Auburn as the town and the Chippewa Falls/ Eau Claire token and thought you went through New Auburn Wisconsin, which is just north of Chippewa Falls. He he Dumb dumb me now sees you were in Minnesota. Ooops... but I still think that may be a soda token...Don't know for sure.

[Scribe]

Great finds,

I have no idea on the "Special Effects" token. Running Scroogle/Google on it I kept getting Michael Jackson World Tour information...but I don't think he hit the Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire area.
Still some great finds.

[dfxdude]

Scribe, you may have been close. Michael (Tee-Hee) Jackson did a lot of commercials for Pepsi around 1983, when his Thriller album came out and the commercials had some "special effects". This might have been a Pepsi promotion thru their local distributorships, hence the Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire, WI reference.