It's Token Tuesday! Post 'em if you got 'em. 3 3

[zadok]

On 8/20/2023 at 9:29 AM, J P M said:

I know it is not Tuesday but at my age I do things when I am thinking of them or I will forget to. We are in Wolfeboro on Lake Winni NH we took the grandkids to the arcade in Laconia .

...say hi to QDB for me....

[Henri Charriere]

Hard to believe the "Live Free, Or Die" state has Times Square and Coney Island in New York City, and every other state and country in the world beat by its claim, but if my most recent visits to both locations locally are any indication, the boast is true. All the old-fashioned "penny" arcades are long gone. FUN SPOT... Nice denticles!  

[Fenntucky Mike]

A recent purchase for me, this Muskegon Lumber & Shingle Company token is my first from a working sawmill. Seller's images below.

ca. 1885

Obv: MUSKEGON S. & L. CO / SHINGLE CHECK - (CENTER) 1/M (1,000)

Rev: GOOD FOR / IN TRADE - (CENTER) Depiction of a bundle of shingles

Built in 1881 the Muskegon S. & L. mill was located on the shores of Muskegon Lake which is accessible from Lake Michigan via a manmade channel. In 1883 there were a total of 40 mills operating on the six mile long inland lake, the largest of which were capable of producing up to 250,000 bdft a day. Muskegon S. & L. was one of the smaller mills producing only 1.5MM bdft in 1883, and 63MM shingles, the larger mills were cutting over 30MM bdft of lumber a year, not including shingles and lath. Below is a table from the book Muskegon And Its Resources published in 1884.

Each mill on the lake would have its own Log Mark, typically applied via a log-marking hammer with the design on the face, identifying the "sticks" as their property. Below is the log mark for the "Muskegon Shingle Mill", I believe this is the mark for M. S. & L., as listed in the reference Muskegon County Log Marks by Lewis Torrent. 

Torrent is also referenced by the Lakeshore Museum in Muskegon as stating this type of token would have been collected by the worker as they completed bundles of 1,000 shingles. On pay day, the tokens would be redeemed for the correct amount of pay. 

As so many did, the Muskegon Shingle & Lumber Company mill, surrounding buildings and lumber burnt to the ground, ending the company's short 10 year run in existence on November 1, 1890. Image taken overlooking the old central Warf, with the mill in the background. 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Fenntucky Mike
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[ldhair]

[Captainrich]

The 38mm clay gambling tokens below won a second place exhibition ribbon at the ANA's Worlds Fair of Money earlier this month in Pittsburgh. The exhibit was titled, "Gaming Chips of Pittsburgh's Max Klein."

I'm curious whether any NGC Forum members attending the convention saw the exhibit (the exhibit also contained many other Max Klein artifacts, such as bottles, whiskey glasses, playing cards, advertising trade cards, etc.).

Major Max Klein was the leading wholesale liquor dealer in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now known as Pittsburgh's North Side) during the late 19th Century. He was born in Rhenish Bavaria in 1843 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1859.
In 1861, Klein enlisted as a Private in Company F of the First Iowa Calvary. He was honorably discharged five years later as a Major, serving under General Custer.
In 1870, he established residence in Pittsburgh and started a wholesale liquor business at 52 Federal Street. He shipped his products, including Silver Age Rye, extensively to the East, West and South, according to the 1892 book "All Sorts of Pittsburgers," by Arthur G. Burgoyne.
There were also a lot of illegal gambling halls in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century and Klein did not hesitate to exploit this additional vice. In addition to personalized playing cards, Klein issued gaming tokens in four colors (red, white, blue, and tan).

 

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 8/29/2023 at 8:41 PM, Captainrich said:

The 38mm clay gambling tokens below won a second place exhibition ribbon at the ANA's Worlds Fair of Money earlier this month in Pittsburgh. The exhibit was titled, "Gaming Chips of Pittsburgh's Max Klein."

I'm curious whether any NGC Forum members attending the convention saw the exhibit (the exhibit also contained many other Max Klein artifacts, such as bottles, whiskey glasses, playing cards, advertising trade cards, etc.).

Major Max Klein was the leading wholesale liquor dealer in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now known as Pittsburgh's North Side) during the late 19th Century. He was born in Rhenish Bavaria in 1843 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1859.
In 1861, Klein enlisted as a Private in Company F of the First Iowa Calvary. He was honorably discharged five years later as a Major, serving under General Custer.
In 1870, he established residence in Pittsburgh and started a wholesale liquor business at 52 Federal Street. He shipped his products, including Silver Age Rye, extensively to the East, West and South, according to the 1892 book "All Sorts of Pittsburgers," by Arthur G. Burgoyne.
There were also a lot of illegal gambling halls in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century and Klein did not hesitate to exploit this additional vice. In addition to personalized playing cards, Klein issued gaming tokens in four colors (red, white, blue, and tan).

I didn't get the chance to attend but would have loved the opportunity to have viewed these and the exhibit. Did you exhibit these at the WFM? If so congratulations. 

[zadok]

On 8/29/2023 at 8:41 PM, Captainrich said:

The 38mm clay gambling tokens below won a second place exhibition ribbon at the ANA's Worlds Fair of Money earlier this month in Pittsburgh. The exhibit was titled, "Gaming Chips of Pittsburgh's Max Klein."

I'm curious whether any NGC Forum members attending the convention saw the exhibit (the exhibit also contained many other Max Klein artifacts, such as bottles, whiskey glasses, playing cards, advertising trade cards, etc.).

Major Max Klein was the leading wholesale liquor dealer in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now known as Pittsburgh's North Side) during the late 19th Century. He was born in Rhenish Bavaria in 1843 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1859.
In 1861, Klein enlisted as a Private in Company F of the First Iowa Calvary. He was honorably discharged five years later as a Major, serving under General Custer.
In 1870, he established residence in Pittsburgh and started a wholesale liquor business at 52 Federal Street. He shipped his products, including Silver Age Rye, extensively to the East, West and South, according to the 1892 book "All Sorts of Pittsburgers," by Arthur G. Burgoyne.
There were also a lot of illegal gambling halls in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century and Klein did not hesitate to exploit this additional vice. In addition to personalized playing cards, Klein issued gaming tokens in four colors (red, white, blue, and tan).

 

...impressive, kudos...i did not but my son did, he is working on a future display n observes looking at the winning displays to see what was successful n what wasnt...he commented on ur set being of much local interest....

[Captainrich]

On 8/30/2023 at 6:36 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

I didn't get the chance to attend but would have loved the opportunity to have viewed these and the exhibit. Did you exhibit these at the WFM? If so congratulations. 

 

On 8/30/2023 at 10:40 AM, zadok said:

...impressive, kudos...i did not but my son did, he is working on a future display n observes looking at the winning displays to see what was successful n what wasnt...he commented on ur set being of much local interest....

Fenntucky Mike and zadok, thank you for your kind words. If you're curious, below is the 38mm bronze medal that was given to the exhibitors in Pittsburgh.

[Just Bob]

The Adams Lumber Company was incorporated in 1896 and operated a mill that the Adams brothers had built in 1892, located two miles south of Morton, Mississippi in Scott County. The mill remained in operation until 1904.

This 5 cent token is unlisted. The only other known denomination is a $1.00 token.

 

[Fenntucky Mike]

In 1946 the Michigan Relief For Germans In Europe (MRGE) was formed in an effort to provide food, clothing, and financial assistance to devastated German areas in Europe. MRGE was a contributor to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a charitable organization operated by the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers, which would receive and distribute any donations collected by MRGE. By August of '46 MRGE had sent over 31,850lbs of clothing and shoes, to AFSC as well as roughly $22,000, all of which would have been distributed to individuals and families through indigenous welfare agencies in Germany, and elsewhere, under American supervision.

Below is a table from Bulletin No. 1, titled Funds And Supplies For Quaker Relief In Germany, released by the American Friends Service Committee on July 25th, 1946.

Below is an excerpt from Bulletin No. 2, titled Funds And Supplies For Quaker Relief In Germany, released by the American Friends Service Committee on August 15, 1946.

The obv. of the token reads: MICHIGAN RELIEF FOR GERMANS IN EUROPE INC.  / AFFILIATED WITH THE QUAKERS  / 1946 with depiction of the logo of the AFSC above. The logo of the AFSC is a black and red eight-pointed star which was adopted by the agency shortly after its founding in 1917. The eight-pointed "Quaker" star was apparently first used in 1870 to differentiate Quakers and their supplies from from military and other relief groups during the Franco-Prussian War.

The rev. reads: (Within a beaded circle) WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE - AND CHARITY FOR ALL  / (Center) A depiction of an impoverished family. The text was most likely taken from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address "With malice toward none; with charity for all", a common theme or motto for similar organizations then and now, which was also utilized by the U.S. Food Administration after WWI (1918).

By the time of its dissolution in 1950, the Michigan Relief For Germans In Europe had raised over one quarter of a million dollars and many, many, tons of clothing and supplies. Collection and distribution of donations to impoverished areas in Europe continued through the AFSC, which is still in operation today. Grassroot organizations like the MRGE were able to provide much needed relief to the many displaced and destitute people who were noncombatant victims of WWII. 

How the tokens were distributed is unknown to me. Possibly given when donations were made, or sold to generate revenue, etc..  

[Fenntucky Mike]

Here's a fun one. A Holland, MI obv die muled with a Jackson, TN obv die. 

 

The no-rays (below building) die was used for the Holland, MI side of the mule. Left to right: Jackson, TN parking token obv / Holland, MI obv mule / Holland, MI obv parking token (with rays variety).

All weigh the same and have the same diameter.

The edge has a line making it look like two halves but I believe it to be one solid piece. What do you think?

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

I don't have many, but I love this one:

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

[J P M]

Big and thick copper or brass

[Henri Charriere]

On 9/26/2023 at 7:57 PM, J P M said:

Big and thick copper or brass

I don't know if they use the term piedfort (strong foot) to describe this or not, but it would be good to determine the composition which I suspect may be bronze. Probably one of the thicker tokens ever posted on this thread. It exudes scarcity. Great find!  

[J P M]

On 9/26/2023 at 8:54 PM, Henri Charriere said:

I don't know if they use the term piedfort (strong foot) to describe this or not, but it would be good to determine the composition which I suspect may be bronze. Probably one of the thicker tokens ever posted on this thread. It exudes scarcity. Great find!  

Here ya go.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia177061.html

[Fenntucky Mike]

EDIT TO ADD:

Since I'm cataloging it this morning, along with the above, here's another from the town of Douglas on the IoM. This token is wafer thin, it measures under 1mm at the rim. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Fenntucky Mike

[Mr_Spud]

Here’s some Civil War Tokens I purchased recently. The first 2 are using coin images used with permission from eBay seller Steve Hayden where I inserted the pictures into my template. The PCGS one uses images from a Trueview and the others are from another seller (used with his permission) where I also inserted them into my templates.

Edited October 18, 2023 by Mr_Spud

[Just Bob]

On 10/18/2023 at 8:05 AM, Mr_Spud said:

Here’s some Civil War Tokens I purchased recently. The first 2 are using coin images used with permission from eBay seller Steve Hayden where I inserted the pictures into my template. The PCGS one uses images from a Trueview and the others are from another seller (used with his permission) where I also inserted them into my templates.

Those are gorgeous.

Steve has quality tokens, that's for sure. His auctions often bring prices that other sellers can't get.

[zadok]

…the question is, r u a turtle or a person_too_unaware_of_social_graces?….

[Henri Charriere]

On 8/20/2023 at 9:46 AM, zadok said:

...say hi to QDB for me....

And the folks at Stack's Bowers squirreled away at 61 Main St.  🤣

[ldhair]

[Fenntucky Mike]

[Mr_Spud]

Here’s a few more new purchases 🌞

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Mr_Spud

[Qktbird]

Hello folks, I'm new here and to grading. I focus on 1893 World's Fair/Columbian Exposition tokens, medals and tickets but collect just about anything from that fair. I had 20 tokens graded back in May for my first ever submission and I have 40 more in for grading now. Here are 2 rarities that I just picked up and plan to send in for grading in the next group I submit. Hope you like them!

 

[Hoghead515]

I had a really good friend send me a token that was one of the early owners of the brickyard my pawpaw on my moms side worked at. He also sent me a brick that my pawpaw very well could have made. Im so grateful to him for that  That is a very special gift. I plan on making some kind of display out of it . It was known as the Louisville Firebrick Co the time he worked there. Its hard to read in the picture due to the lighting but in hand its very easy to read.

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 10/24/2023 at 8:00 PM, Qktbird said:

Hello folks, I'm new here and to grading. I focus on 1893 World's Fair/Columbian Exposition tokens, medals and tickets but collect just about anything from that fair. I had 20 tokens graded back in May for my first ever submission and I have 40 more in for grading now. Here are 2 rarities that I just picked up and plan to send in for grading in the next group I submit. Hope you like them!

 

Very nice. I've a few WCE pieces, it's a collecting area I've thought about getting into more seriously but currently only dabble. I look forward to seeing more of your collection. 

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 10/24/2023 at 8:20 PM, Hoghead515 said:

I had a really good friend send me a token that was one of the early owners of the brickyard my pawpaw on my moms side worked at. He also sent me a brick that my pawpaw very well could have made. Im so grateful to him for that  That is a very special gift. I plan on making some kind of display out of it . It was known as the Louisville Firebrick Co the time he worked there. Its hard to read in the picture due to the lighting but in hand its very easy to read.

Nice HH! That brick will look cool in a nice display with the token and maybe a couple pics. Have you had luck finding any additional tokens or any wins at auction?

[Hoghead515]

On 10/25/2023 at 6:14 AM, Fenntucky Mike said:

Nice HH! That brick will look cool in a nice display with the token and maybe a couple pics. Have you had luck finding any additional tokens or any wins at auction?

I seen several olive hill brickyard tokens on Ebay the past few days. Thats where my pawpaw on my dads side worked. I was unsuccesful of winning any. Most went for more $ than I could afford. There was a couple I could have probably bought but I had to work late and the auction was over on them by time I checked my phone. I was a little dishearted but thats the way it goes. I may find more one of these days. It was pretty cool because that seller had a whole set of them. Also missed out on 2 more just like them only in brass a few days before. Once again didnt get off work in time to bid. Its been crazy at work lately. Weve had some very long days. 

[Mr_Spud]

And one more 🌞