help with beat up token - added other side picture

[fd3615]

so yesterday i went out and searched a vacant lot along historic route 40 in CA. It apperars there was an old home here... I found this token... it is in very bad shape.. it appears to made from aluminum or some other brittle light weight metal. Any ideas?

 

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[Nick in NEPA]

Re: help with beat up token

Appears to be an ARRC (Alaskan Rural Rehabilitation Commission) token.

 

[idahotokens]

Re: help with beat up token

Pather--the 10¢ ARRC tokens were round - only the 1¢ one was octagonal. I think we need to wait to see what (if anything) the obverse says.
John in ID

 

[idahotokens]

Wow, the obverse on that one is really tough! I see what looks like MSTRO on the top - the only thing that I see in the lists of tokens I have that would match that is the name ARMSTRONG. I also see a couple of letters at the bottom - which is where the town and state might appear. Can you put a glass to it and see if you can make any out for sure? The way you highlight the letters is great! What state was this found in? That doesn't prove anything, but provenance may be a clue.
John in ID

 

[fd3615]

Looking under magnification i cant make out any more details

It was found in vacaville CA

 

[idahotokens]

Well, here's a possibility from Kappen's California Tokens book. Since the piece was dug in Vacaville, that would be the first place to look. Tokens moved around, but some stayed close to home. Anyway, there is a piece listed (in the more-or-less standard way of describing wording on tokens and medals):

EDSTROM'S / 10 / VACAVILLE
GOOD FOR / 10¢ / IN TRADE
26mm Octagonal Aluminum

The 1910 Census shows an Edwin C. Edstrom, 41, with occupation "Confectioner - Ice Cream & Candy", so that was where the listed token was used. He worked in a garage when the 1920 Census was taken. The California Death Index says he was born 10 Jan 1869 and died in Solano County, CA 16 Jan 1945.

I could believe that the visible letters on the obverse are DSTRO - what do you think?

John in ID

 

[fd3615]

Wow.. You are truely amazing.. Would have taken me 5 years to do all that research.. If you like History attached is a link to an article I found mentioning the ice cream parlor. The location where i found the token was less then 1/2 mile from the business. Very Cool Thank You.....

http://63.192.157.117/history/history022501.html