bruce
Full Member
Found on surface of plowed field. A site where Indian artifacts were found 12-A-446. Does anyone have more information on this token?
trade token
- Thread starter bruce
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idahotokens
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- Aug 30, 2003
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Bruce--
The Brunswick - Balke - Collender Company of Chicago was the predecessor to the modern-day Brunswick Corporation that makes bowling, billiard, and other supplies. When a billiard hall operator would purchase a billiard table from them, he would also have the option of having tokens made for his business. Brunswick probably did not make the tokens themselves, but contracted it out. The deal was that they offered the tokens at a cut rate if they could advertise their company on one side. Unfortunately, most of the Brunswick / BBC tokens are mavericks like yours. In order to make the tokens inexpensively, the manufacturer used stock dies and only changed the part where the business name appeared. The standard work on these tokens, The Brunswick Story, by Fowler, Magnuson, & White, lists one from The Bank, but it is octagonal rather than round like yours. It has not been attributed to any location. With a common name like The Bank, it is entirely possible that the one listed and yours are from two different places. The timeframe for tokens with this die style is post-1884. They made tokens to about 1929, but most of the BBC tokens are from 1890-1910.
John in ID
The Brunswick - Balke - Collender Company of Chicago was the predecessor to the modern-day Brunswick Corporation that makes bowling, billiard, and other supplies. When a billiard hall operator would purchase a billiard table from them, he would also have the option of having tokens made for his business. Brunswick probably did not make the tokens themselves, but contracted it out. The deal was that they offered the tokens at a cut rate if they could advertise their company on one side. Unfortunately, most of the Brunswick / BBC tokens are mavericks like yours. In order to make the tokens inexpensively, the manufacturer used stock dies and only changed the part where the business name appeared. The standard work on these tokens, The Brunswick Story, by Fowler, Magnuson, & White, lists one from The Bank, but it is octagonal rather than round like yours. It has not been attributed to any location. With a common name like The Bank, it is entirely possible that the one listed and yours are from two different places. The timeframe for tokens with this die style is post-1884. They made tokens to about 1929, but most of the BBC tokens are from 1890-1910.
John in ID
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bruce
Full Member
- Thread starter
- #3
John,
Thank you for the time and for your knowledge on this token.
It must of been in the rivers bottom land for all those years from the way it looks. I wander if there are others to be found there. Come on Spring!
Did the bank loan the money for the table or buy the table?
The company then would reimburse the tokens worth?
I would hope to think there is another example in better condition.
Good day too you and yours,
Bruce
Thank you for the time and for your knowledge on this token.
It must of been in the rivers bottom land for all those years from the way it looks. I wander if there are others to be found there. Come on Spring!
Did the bank loan the money for the table or buy the table?
The company then would reimburse the tokens worth?
I would hope to think there is another example in better condition.
Good day too you and yours,
Bruce
idahotokens
Bronze Member
- Aug 30, 2003
- 2,073
- 1,039
- Primary Interest:
- Other
Bruce--
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. The Brunswick company often did finance the billiard tables for their customers, the pool halls. In the pre-Phrohibition times they often put up money so the businessman could get a liquor license as well. In this case the pool hall was named "The Bank" - probably because they were in the same building as a bank. The pool halls used tokens in their business and usually ordered at least 100 of them and often 1000 or so. The tokens were used in many ways, most often they were used as change for liquor and cigars. The classic example is where the tokens are valued at 12½¢, a good cigar or shot of whiskey was priced at "2 for a quarter". The customer would buy one drink, plunk down a quarter, and get his drink plus a 12½¢ token in change. The token could be used for the next one. In the case of a billiard hall, it may have cost 5¢ to play a game. The customer would pay the person at the cash register 5¢ and get a token in return. Then, there would be some "clerk" running the pool tables who would collect the token from each player before the game. The idea was that the clerk might pocket cash, thus robbing the owner, so he was only allowed to handle tokens. In addition, a "friendly game of pool" often involved wagers. Since it may have been illegal to gamble for cash and/or since the clerk would be the one to handle the bets, the players might buy more of the tokens (with cash) from the person at the till and use them as stakes in the game. So it the sheriff should happen to drop in, they could honestly say they weren't gambling for money. When the games were all done, the winner could (in rare cases) trade his tokens in for cash. But more often, the proprietor of the pool hall would only let the winner use the tokens "in trade" at the candy or cigar counter, or at the bar, or the next time the customer wanted to play a game of pool. It is in this latter case where we come in. The guy had all he could drink, stumbled home, and on the way lost the token out of his pocket. The token got covered up and waited a century or so for some dude to come by with a new-fangled metal detector and find it.
John in ID
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. The Brunswick company often did finance the billiard tables for their customers, the pool halls. In the pre-Phrohibition times they often put up money so the businessman could get a liquor license as well. In this case the pool hall was named "The Bank" - probably because they were in the same building as a bank. The pool halls used tokens in their business and usually ordered at least 100 of them and often 1000 or so. The tokens were used in many ways, most often they were used as change for liquor and cigars. The classic example is where the tokens are valued at 12½¢, a good cigar or shot of whiskey was priced at "2 for a quarter". The customer would buy one drink, plunk down a quarter, and get his drink plus a 12½¢ token in change. The token could be used for the next one. In the case of a billiard hall, it may have cost 5¢ to play a game. The customer would pay the person at the cash register 5¢ and get a token in return. Then, there would be some "clerk" running the pool tables who would collect the token from each player before the game. The idea was that the clerk might pocket cash, thus robbing the owner, so he was only allowed to handle tokens. In addition, a "friendly game of pool" often involved wagers. Since it may have been illegal to gamble for cash and/or since the clerk would be the one to handle the bets, the players might buy more of the tokens (with cash) from the person at the till and use them as stakes in the game. So it the sheriff should happen to drop in, they could honestly say they weren't gambling for money. When the games were all done, the winner could (in rare cases) trade his tokens in for cash. But more often, the proprietor of the pool hall would only let the winner use the tokens "in trade" at the candy or cigar counter, or at the bar, or the next time the customer wanted to play a game of pool. It is in this latter case where we come in. The guy had all he could drink, stumbled home, and on the way lost the token out of his pocket. The token got covered up and waited a century or so for some dude to come by with a new-fangled metal detector and find it.
John in ID
Hill Billy
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- Jun 3, 2007
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Hey Bruce , here is a token like yours on ebay.Check it out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/D-B-LOUCKS-BBC-...oryZ3458QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/D-B-LOUCKS-BBC-...oryZ3458QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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