Token Research Need Your Advice

[Michigan Badger]

I would like to know what you have found to be the best source for token research.

I do own a copy of "Provincial Copper Coins or Tokens" by PYE.

I have almost nothing for U.S. tokens.

What would you recommend?

Are there any excellent websites covering U.S. tokens?

Zeb

 

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[PBK]

Nothing else even comes close to Rich Hartzog's www.exonumia.com

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[idahotokens]

Zeb--The field of U. S. Tokens is so vast that I think it is impossible to answer your question. Do you have some specific type of token or era in mind? There are excellent books on tokens, but a general volume that covers the gamut does not exist. Rulau's United States Tokens, 1700-1900, for instance, hits the high spots for that 200 year period, but there are many not listed in his work. Trade tokens have been issued by the thousands during the 1900s and each state deserves a book of its own. Plastic trade tokens are being churned out by the thousands as we speak and there is nobody (to my knowledge) who is trying to keep track of them.

Consider for a minute the fields of U. S. Coins versus U. S. Tokens. I would imagine that if you could assemble a "type set" of U. S. Coins - one of each major type like one Memorial Cent, one Wheat Cent, one Indian Cent, one Flying Eagle Cent would constitute a type set of small cents - that you could hold the whole set in your cupped hands. However if you tried to assemble a corresponding "type set" of U. S. Tokens consisting of one token from each issuer, that would probably fill the bed of a pickup truck to overflowing. Coins have been actively collected and studied by many numismatists over the years and there is an active market to determine pricing, grading, etc. Tokens, on the other hand, have only been collected and studied by a minority of numismatists, so there is not a corresponding body of information and accurate marketplace.

So, getting off my soapbox, let us know some more specifics and we may come up with something that would help.

Best,
John in ID

 

[Michigan Badger]

Zeb--The field of U. S. Tokens is so vast that I think it is impossible to answer your question.?
So, getting off my soapbox, let us know some more specifics and we may come up with something that would help.
Best,
John in ID

WOW! This sure explains why I find so many tokens while metal detecting.

For starters, what would you recommend for tokens of the "The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)?"

I'm thinking of those having to do with the "Temperance" movement in general.

I have one such token already listed here with a photo.

Thanks,

Zeb

 

[idahotokens]

Zeb--I don't find any reference work on WCTU tokens and medals. The specific piece you have may be listed in Columbiana; the medallic history of Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exposition of 1893, by Eglit, Nathan N., and published by Hewitt Bros., Chicago, 1965. I don't have a copy myself, but by joining one of the numismatic organizations, you would have access to their extensive libraries. The American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) and the Token and Medal Society (www.tokenandmedal.org) are two that have excellent libraries. Most of the material can be borrowed for just the cost of round trip postage and insurance. As I mentioned before, the field of medals (that is what I consider your piece) and tokens is wide open for research! Using Google or any of the other search engines, you may be able to come up with a lot of WCTU information in general. Best, John in ID

 

[Michigan Badger]

Thanks much, idahotokens.

This is a great help.

Zeb