Labor token

[sjvalleyhunter]

There are a couple of small, but old parks that I have been eyeing lately. Unfortunately they are smack dab in the middle of the ghetto and are usually infested with thugs. Well finally one of them was free of transients and gangsters so I did a quick hunt.

I got a high signal and pulled out a junk watch. I rescanned the hole and got a solid 12-40 on the E-Trac. I dug down a few more inches and pulled out this token. It's listed on Tokencatalog (#TC-371070) as being from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It's interesting that it made it's way to Central California.

 

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[rgreever]

This token was made by L.A. Rubber Stamp Company... To me, it's surprising it's attributed to Iowa. No other example of this reverse shows up outside California and Arizona....

I wonder if Frank Cervantes started in California and moved to Iowa... I think this token dates earlier than the 1942-1952 dates for Cedar Rapids, but so far, no California reference has been found.

Richard - from TokenCatalog.com

 

[idahotokens]

Richard is correct - the 1942-52 Cedar Rapids City Directories show the Frank Cervantes there as a laborer, not a labor contractor, so I'd call BS on the Iowa attribution. The token looks to me to be a "piecework" token. In the California context that would mean fruit or produce picking or packing. But I am unsure why the token would be 25¢ in trade rather than "one bushel" or some such.
John in the Great 208

 

[aa battery]

sounds like you live in Fresno

 

[sjvalleyhunter]

sounds like you live in Fresno

Ha! Well my description of the park does pretty much describe every park in Fresno.

 

[aa battery]

yes but its more fun hunting on the golden west side