5 Cent Drug Store Token from Richton Mississippi

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

I found this old aluminum 5 cent drug store token yesterday and am wondering where I might be able to find more information on it. It's from a drug store in Richton Mississippi and was valued at 5 cents, the name of the drug store was either Walkers or Walters as I have been unable to clean it up well enough to read it all.

Also what is the best method to clean these aluminum tokens without harming them?

 

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[vpnavy]

Until a member(s) pipe in - here are a few approaches:

How Do I Clean An Aluminum Token? (Dec 12, 2005, 06:41 PM)

59 Ford Token before and after pics (Jan 14, 2007, 12:11 AM)

Cleaning an aluminum token (Jun 19, 2013, 08:47 PM)


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[Tom Bigbee]

Great find with that token... There are some guys that pay big bucks for Miss. tokens. Those like the one you found are tough to clean. I found one from Electric Mills, Miss but it was in much better condition and was made of brass like metal. Just don't attempt to clean it until you have a good method. You can practice on some Miss State Sales Tax Tokens if you have any.

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

After doing some reading today in regards to Richton's history, I found a tid bit of info that said Walley Drug Co. was sold in 1930, so then I had to rub on this token a little more and sure enough it says "Walley" instead of "Walkers" or "Walters"...

I'd still appreciate any help in coming up with some good sources for info on these old tokens or of course, some detailed info on this token itself... Did Walley Drug Co. offer them in any other denominations?

 

[Mackaydon]

A beginning date would be July 19, 1907; when Walley Drug Co. was incorporated.
Don.....

 

[Mackaydon]

Some related history: To entice customers to visit the store, tokens were distributed in many ways such as handing them out with other purchases, on the street, at fairs, or at ball games. Harry Hyman, a New Orleans tailor, would throw his tokens into Mardi Gras crowds in the 1920s, perhaps inspiring the now-popular doubloons. Many New Orleans area businesses continue this tradition.

You may wish to contact the Richton PUblic Library ((601)788-6539 and ask for the Research Desk; they may be able to refer you to the Perry County Historian who might be able to answer-- or lead you closer to-- the answer to your Q.
Don.....

 

[BigWaveDave]

I have used a brass brush to clean aluminum tokens, came out pretty good.
Try this, as suggested on other junk tokens, see if you like the results before trying on this one...

 

[idahotokens]

Especially in drug stores, tokens were used in a rather interesting way. When a prescription was brought in to be filled, the pharmacist would give one of these tokens to the customer and they would be encouraged to spend it at the store's soda fountain so they wouldn't hang around the pharmacy counter and distract the person filling the prescription. Typically drug store tokens were good for 5¢ (they seldom had other denominations) or were "good for a soda".

I can't find my MS token book, Chatham's Bronzenes and Doodlum, or I'd see if it is listed. It is not on the tokencatalog.com site - please consider posting pics of your piece there.

John in the Great 208

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

A beginning date would be July 19, 1907; when Walley Drug Co. was incorporated.
Don.....

Thanks and may I ask where you found this information?

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

Some related history: To entice customers to visit the store, tokens were distributed in many ways such as handing them out with other purchases, on the street, at fairs, or at ball games. Harry Hyman, a New Orleans tailor, would throw his tokens into Mardi Gras crowds in the 1920s, perhaps inspiring the now-popular doubloons. Many New Orleans area businesses continue this tradition.

You may wish to contact the Richton PUblic Library ((601)788-6539 and ask for the Research Desk; they may be able to refer you to the Perry County Historian who might be able to answer-- or lead you closer to-- the answer to your Q.
Don.....

Again, Thanks!

I plan on spending some time in the Richton Library and spending some time chatting with a woman whose family moved there in 1936 when she was 3 years old... I am currently working in a historic home in the area and dug this token up on that property along with finding a Richton History Book that was printed in 1976 and a Mississippi History Book that was published in 1928 inside the home.... I read about 1/2 of the Richton History book today, which is how I discovered the Walley Drug Co. info...

 

[Mackaydon]

WTH: https://books.google.com/books?id=D..."walley drug co." richton mississippi&f=true
Don.....