Found my first token

[makton]

Well, after almost a year and a half metal detecting I finally found my first token.
It was also my deepest coin size target at over 9" on my Xterra 70 which shocked me since I was using my 6"
HF coil.
Any ideas on how to find where/who M.M. is? I found it in Palos, Il - SW Burbs of Chicago.

Thanks for looking.

Makton

 

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[idahotokens]

Tokens with "initials only" are generally considered to be un-attributable, but Vacketta's Trade Tokens of IL book does list one from Chicago that has the initials M. M. and an address of 321 W. Grand Ave. Yours may or may not be related to that one.

If you have a theory (like the above, or hopefully a better one) of where the token might be from, then the way to gain more evidence is to visit the library and look at city directories for the period when you think the token was issued. In your case, I'd guess 1910-30, a pretty broad range. Then, you'd have to go through the M section looking for people with the correct initials and in a suitable business to have used tokens (cigars, tavern, bar, confectionery, etc.). But even then, you are apt to find multiple possibilities. For instance, I just looked at the first column of names starting with M in the 1914-15 Chicago Lakeside Directory in the classified section of saloons and see that there are half a dozen possibilities. And there are six more columns! Bottom line is that a creditable attribution is not going to be attained on a single piec - if you had gotten a can-full of the same one, and found a name having a correct business at the exact location where you found them, then maybe so.

John in ID

 

[makton]

Thanks John for your input and research. I figured with just a couple of initials it would probably be difficult at best to id.
Maybe my second token will have more info.

Makton

 

[allen]

wtg on your first token !!

 

[intimer]

M.M. (MARTIN MUKICH) FOREST CITY, PA PENNSYLVANIA TOKEN BOOK


found the above in a listing i have.

mike

 

[idahotokens]

Mike--the one in the PA book is not the same as this one. It is slightly smaller than this one at 20mm and the reverse has "at bar" at the bottom. The chances of this "M. M." being the same person are almost nil.
John in ID

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

You have now started down the road to anguish and ruin. Congrates, and find more!