A token, rare?

[DesertCruiser]

Here's two pictures of a token found near an old abandoned school right next to a farm field. We did a lot of research into this and found that it was given to migrant workers who went over their quota. You can see on the coin what it was worth. Just thought it might be interesting, found with a Garret metal detector years ago. This token is from the early 1900's. Don't have any idea what it's worth.

Don

 

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[ivan salis]

its a form of pay chit for migrant labors -- as they gathered tomatos the workers handed the "bossman" the filled bucket --in exchange they got a token --at the end of the job-- the tokens were "cashed out" for money -- however until the "job" was through however they could only be used to buy company goods via the company store / supply outfit (often at highly inflated prices) by using tokens the migants were forced to buy at the company store or do without --as local stores would not accept the tokens as cash

and not having cash they could not just quit the job and walk away no matter how badly they were treated (because they would be broke until the job was done )-- because only when the job was done and they were through with you--laborwize-- were the chits redeemed for cash.

by passing out chits --you could track who was working hard and who was slacking the easy way -- since it cost so many chits a day to pay for room and board -- if you were too slack you did not have enough chits to pay your way -- so maybe nothing to eat for you or maybe sleep outside--(great way to "motivate" slacker type workers) --by using these chits no other bookkeeping needed to be done -- so many chits a day for room and board -- and other company store / supply items were "sold" for chits as well -- any extra ones got cashed out at the end of the "job" for cash money -- simple , brutal and effective

 

[Mackaydon]

Your token is noted here:
http://tokencatalog.com/display_records.php?action=DisplayRecords&td_state=Delaware&td_city=Dover
as coming from the state of Delaware. That site also lacks, but requests, an image that you may wish to provide them.

Found it: http://cgi.ebay.com/DERICKSON-MARTI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2a04708910
Don.......

Edit: W. T. Derickson was the Director of (Produce) Markets of Delaware and in charge of the Bureau of (Produce) Markets of Delaware in 1925; and that might be a good date to start with for your token.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...Nk8nAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZAMGAAAAIBAJ&pg=820,5893102

 

[DesertCruiser]

Well thanks a lot. That helps greatly. And yes it was found in lower Delaware.

Thanks again, very informative.

Don....

 

[shelbybell]

Thats really cool