White Bros Token

[Wildcat]

Found in Oz. Can someone tell me who they were or what they did??
I know it's worth about $20.00 What are those little wriggly marks on the back of it? Thanks
The Cat

 

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[PBK]

White Bros. supplied leather to shoe companies and other manufacturers. "Willow calf" was a type of leather. I believe these tokens were attached to pairs of shoes, hence the hole at the top.

The squiggles on the reverse appear to imitate inscriptions from Arabic coins.

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks PBK. That explains the hole. Someone must have bought a new pair of boots before heading for the Aussie goldfields?

Cheers
The Cat

 

[Mackaydon]

A live auction of a similar one is going to be held on Oct. 31 at this site:
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cach...d+Company+Boston&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&ie=UTF-8#

Spot on, as usual PBK!!
Willow calf is a leather! Generally colored(not black) with lines like willow bark, hence the name. Nothing to do with California.

The White brothers were shoemakers in Boston Massachusetts. Each type of their tokens were attached to a tag, which was then attached to a pair of their shoes. Several of the original tags survive and these identify White Brothers as specialists in colored leathers which "will not crack" and are "free from arsenic." (!!)
A pair of willow calf shoes are shown at the bottom of this site:
http://www.coinpeople.com/lofiversion/index.php/t24104.html

Don.....

 

[Wildcat]

The photo I used was from another site as I have trouble getting any decent sort of picture with the macro on my camera.
I have attached the best pic I could take.
The Cat

 

[crazyjarhead]

Nice token

 

[Mackaydon]

A follow up to my previous:
http://www.icollector.com/496-White...-Boston-U-S-A-Store-Card-Token-Holed_i8684243

 

[Wildcat]

Not worth anything, but always good to find something different. I'll put it in with the girl guide badges and lifeboy badges and high school badges etc... lol

The Cat

 

[patiodadio]

Found a White Bros token. This one has been shot :-(

 

[kingskid1611]

Found a White Bros token. This one has been shot :-(

View attachment 1276266

Still a beauty of a find.