token? weight & measure

[kawalabear]

token? weight & measure

found this token by an old shipping port used for tobacco and other items.

county commissioners bureau of weights &measure Philadelphia (seated or sealed ?)

on the back all i see is Y 12 19

it is very light like aluminum

 

[Gonehunting]

Re: token? weight & measure

cool couldn't find anything on it.

 

[trikikiwi]

Re: token? weight & measure

My wild guess will be an old tax token.
Now I'll wait to see what the wizards say
Mike

 

[Dano Sverige]

Re: token? weight & measure

Could be some kind of bag seal or nailed onto a crate to guarentee the items weight?

 

[DCMatt]

Re: token? weight & measure

Could be some kind of bag seal or nailed onto a crate to guarentee the items weight?

Agree. Looks like an official bale, box, or bag seal. Never seen one quite like it, though. I have a few lead bale seals that were crimped over a wire. Numbers on the back could represent a date (12 19 = Dec. 1919). I found a reference to the "Philadelphia County Bureau of Weights and Measures" in a 1915 book. Do you have a time frame for the port use?

DCMatt

 

[IronSpike]

Re: token? weight & measure

Maybe an inspection seal for accuracy of a scale weight?

Agree with DCMatt on the date.

Added: Here's an example:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Collectibles-General-Antiques-682/2010/2/Toledo-Scales-aluminum-seal.htm

 

[ivan salis]

Re: token? weight & measure

most likely a tax free / tax paid (*export / import) "bale" of tobacco "seal" -- tobacco for "local" USA use has to have taxes paid here on it --for overseas use by "foreign buyers"-- its US tax (duty" free ) as a "export" item--- export tobacco items have to have such "seals" upon them

however foreign tabaccos --brought in from oversea for ""blending" into american tobacco products --as imports however are "taxed" as inbound tobacco *

its done to encourge "exporting" and discourge "importing" of tobacco.

the bales were of a standard weight * -- and using wires to bundle them a seal were affixed around them to prevent folks tampering with the "tax free" / "tax paid" tobacco -- to prevent thief from tax free bales before they left country or folks adding to "tax paid" bales inbound -- both which cheat the "tax" man

 

[kawalabear]

Re: token? weight & measure

the time fram for the port was mid 1700'S to late 1800'S maybe even into the early 1900's i'll have to check on that.

is there any value to something like this ? other than finding something really cool .

after cleaning it up some more the back has Y12 19 ?0 the number in front of the 0 is messed up so cant tell what it is.

ours has a hole in the top and bottom the top hole is fine the bottom hole looks like it was attached to something like a nail through it or something and they just ripped it off and tore it up a little.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: token? weight & measure

Maybe an inspection seal for accuracy of a scale weight?

I agree with IS.