Luzerne Mercantile Co., Wheeling WV

[mark v]

I found some type of token and I cannot find any information about it. It reads "Luzerne Mercantile Co., Wheeling WV on one side with a big "1" on the center top. The reverse reads around the outside edge "Redeemable in cash by employee on payday when due".
Can anyone tell me anything about this token and/or about the company?
Tnhanks.

 

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[idahotokens]

You can find this one pictured on tokencatalog.com - it is listed with no historical references, though. It is listed in Edkins coal company scrip book along with other denominations, but again with no historical references. This type of token was typically used in a "company store" by employees who borrowed against their wages. There is quite a bit of information on the Internet regarding coal scrip. One reference I saw said the Luzerne Mercantile was in business in 1903 - probably a lot later than that as well.
John in the 208

 

[intimer]

There's two listings for the Luzerne Mercantile at Wheeling in Dodrills 20,000 coal company stores listing.
1.associated with La Belle Iron Works Ohio County WV.50 employees 1914-1922
also shows assocaited with the same iron company at steubenville, oh. jefferson county 145 employees 1914-1922

2. associated with Wheeling Steel Corp. at Wheeling, Wv Ohio County, 70 employees 1931-1934

in the same book i see that Wheeling Mercantile Co. is listed in association with 14 companies - some company names listed twice or more but at various locations & times...from Arrow, KY, Freeburn KY, Barking Pa, Harmarville, Pa Beech Bottom, WV, ---anywhere from 1907 to 1949 but only the two above with wheeling on the token. they may have changed name to Luzerne-Graham Min. (? maybe mining) Corp Store. and operated in Graham and Luzerene, KY. in association with W.G. Duncan Coal Co. from 1937-1957

the WV Coal book shows the Luzerne Mercantile Co., Wheeling, WV token listed with three reverses (3 different orders from Osborne Register Company) orco pat. pend.(1914-1930=O-1), orco reg. u.s. pat. off. (1930-1938=O-2), orco patented (1938-1939= O-3), and orco - 4 with no date (1939-1958= O4-no date or dated). each of the reverses have a specific time frame associated with them. i will look them up and insert the dates back in with the reverse description above. the above are referred to as Orco-1 (O-1), Orco-2 (O-2), Orco-3 (O-3) and Orco - 4 (04- dated or no date). i believe scrip was outlawed way before 1958....

so you can date yours by the reverse.

 

[mark v]

The reverse of the one I found is pretty well corroded but I can read Osborne Register and Pat. Pend. I can't see a date. It seems to be an O-1 reverse.
What's real interesting is Harmarville, Pa. mentioned in the above post. I found this token walking distance from the old closed-down coal mine in Harmarville. The obverse of mine is nice but the reverse is in too bad of shape to get a picture to post on here.