Found a trade token (I think)

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
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? token.jpg
 

Upvote 0

Silver Worm

Hero Member
Aug 26, 2012
701
580
Columbus, Ms.
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Eurotek Pro, Fisher F11, Garrett Pro Pointer. AT, Lesche digging tool. 5x8 and 8.5x11 DD coils, 4.5 Super Sniper coil.
Primary Interest:
Other
Electrolysis.
 

OP
OP
B

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
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.

H.C. Whalen.jpg Tonen2.jpg
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
You sure that's not a shield nickel ? What's it TID at on your machine ? Try sudsy ammonia.
 

OP
OP
B

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
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

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,825
17,742
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Run it through your tumbler with your clad using lemon juice and salt. It should clean up.
 

Troller

Full Member
Mar 5, 2016
132
138
Wisconsin
Detector(s) used
Fisher F5 DD, Si Robertson TC2X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found this picture of a shades saloon trade token on Ebay Good for 5 cents.jpg
 

OP
OP
B

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
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

Bronze Member
Aug 30, 2003
2,073
1,039
Primary Interest:
Other
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]
T_IMAGE_OBV_24554.jpg
T_IMAGE_REV_24554.jpg

BR21

[CA5]
H.C. WHALEN / STANWOOD / WASH.
GOOD FOR / 5¢ / IN TRADE {GFIT-5-¢-F2-48}
TC-30387; Erickson


John in the Great 208
 

idahotokens

Bronze Member
Aug 30, 2003
2,073
1,039
Primary Interest:
Other
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
 

OP
OP
B

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
Idaho, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
 

digger460

Silver Member
Sep 19, 2015
2,972
3,295
Southeast Grundy, Illinois
Detector(s) used
EQ600, EQ800 and a Carrot
Primary Interest:
Other
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?
 

OP
OP
B

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
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.

FlorenceToken.jpg Florencetoken2.jpg
 

CoinFetcher

Bronze Member
Apr 29, 2012
2,496
3,301
Left coast
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Love to treasure hunt
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found one of these yesterday at the same spot!
 

against the wind

Gold Member
Jul 27, 2015
24,797
24,976
Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excalibur, XP Deus, & CTX 3030.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
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.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top