There is a lot of confusion, both in numismatic circles and elsewhere about the names used for objects.
Coins are usually small round discs that are issued by government authority for use as "legal tender" in a particular country. They may or may not have intrinsic value, carry the name of the country, the denomination and the date they were made. Many countries use non-round coins, but coins are seldom over 35mm in diameter.
Medals are similar in appearance, but often larger. They may be issued by a government or a private group, but are not "legal tender" and therefore carry no denomination. Their purpose is to commemorate some event or achievement or to be an object of art. Again, they may or may not have intrinsic value, and the event they commemorate may or may not be defined on the piece.
Tokens are more similar to coins, but are issued by individual people or businesses and usually not under government authority. They were and are used as a substitute for coins and usually indicate a denomination, although in many instances the denomination was implied by the size. The intention was that tokens would be used in a single business, but practicality dictated that they were often accepted at other businesses in the area of the issuing business. Tokens seldom have intrinsic value - they are found in a variety of materials: brass, aluminum, "white metal", plastic, hard rubber, fiber, paper, etc. and were made in a variety of shapes, but again, are seldom over 35mm. The term "token" also applies to some advertising pieces which do not carry a denomination. Civil War "storecards" are examples of this usage - they were used as substitutes for coins. Other "storecards" are intended for advertising only, much as paper business cards are used, although they are much more durable and apt to be kept by the recipient.
Novelties include elongated cents, golf markers, play money, "jetons" or game counters (like poker chips), tags, electrical box knockouts, etc. They often "look like" tokens and are included in collections. This whole area of numismatics is full of grey areas, since usages change over time and the original intent of a piece is sometimes hard to determine.
John in ID
