Found a trade token (I think)

[beerguy]

I found a nickel sized object today, now that I am home I think it is a trade token. I can see 5 and a cents sign on one side. Some lettering too. Anyway, it is crusted with dirt and very corroded. How would you guys go about cleaning this?

 

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[Silver Worm]

Electrolysis.

 

[beerguy]

I did the warmed Hydrogen Peroxide method, and it worked a little bit. This was very crusty, and very damaged.

Here are my final images.

I can see a name on the back, I also see WASH. which makes since since I am in Western Washington.

I think it says H.C. Whalen and I see WOOD on it as well.

This was found in a small town called Stanwood.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You sure that's not a shield nickel ? What's it TID at on your machine ? Try sudsy ammonia.

 

[Mackaydon]

The reverse says: "Good for 5 cents in trade".
Not much help, I agree.
Don......

 

[beerguy]

Unfortunate that the best side is the side that does not identify it. I have NEVER found a trade token before, so I am a little bummed about not being able to ID it.

I will give this to the local Historical society, maybe they can shed some light on this.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Run it through your tumbler with your clad using lemon juice and salt. It should clean up.

 

[Troller]

I found this picture of a shades saloon trade token on Ebay

 

[Troller]

Found this site. looks like the token could be pretty old. If it is a merchants token it could date back to the 1800's Trade and Good for Tokens - Collector Information | Collectors Weekly

 

[beerguy]

Troller, I do believe that this thing is pretty old. All of the finds coming out of this site are from the 1890's to the present. Lots of V nickels, buffalos, mercs and Wheaties.

Thanks for posting that link. Very useful.

 

[idahotokens]

Henry C. Whalen shows up in the 1920 Census for Stanwood as a steamboat master. That was probably his day job as that token looks to me to be from a billiard hall and/or cigar store. Tokencatalog shows what the piece looks like:
Stanwood, Washington (Snohomish County), U.S.A. [CA5]

	[TABLE="align: left"] [TR] [TD]

[TD="width: 100"] [TABLE="align: left"]
[TR]

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] [TABLE="width: 100"]
[TR]
[TD] [TABLE="width: 100"]
[TR]
[TD]B[/TD]
[TD]R[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] [CA5] [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD]

H.C. WHALEN / STANWOOD / WASH.

GOOD FOR / 5¢ / IN TRADE {GFIT-5-¢-F2-48}

TC-30387; Erickson

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


John in the Great 208

 

[idahotokens]

Okay - backing up a bit in Henry Carl Whalen's career, the 1911 Snohomish County directory shows him as a bartender at the Palace Hotel in Stanwood. The year before that, the directory showed him as captain of the steamer Lily, and the year after he was a "master mariner". That makes me think he had the bar/cigar store/pool hall on the side. He died in Yakima in 1956 and is buried the Anderson Cemetery in East Stanwood.
John

 

[Mackaydon]

Don.....

 

[beerguy]

Idaho, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[digger460]

Have you tried laying a piece of paper over it and rubbing pencil over it. Might be able to pull another letter out of it?

 

[beerguy]

I went back to the site today and pulled another trade token out of the ground. Pretty weird, I have never found one until yesterday and today I have two!

This one is in way better shape, and it is from a different place.

Florence does not exist any more, but here is the token.

Idahotokens, thanks to you for the token database. This one is cataloged there, but I didn't need to look it up for identification.

 

[idahotokens]

You are on a roll! Keep up the good finds!
John

 

[CoinFetcher]

I found one of these yesterday at the same spot!

 

[against the wind]

Okay - backing up a bit in Henry Carl Whalen's career, the 1911 Snohomish County directory shows him as a bartender at the Palace Hotel in Stanwood. The year before that, the directory showed him as captain of the steamer Lily, and the year after he was a "master mariner". That makes me think he had the bar/cigar store/pool hall on the side. He died in Yakima in 1956 and is buried the Anderson Cemetery in East Stanwood.
John

That's what I call some nice detective work.