Tax tokens anyone collect these?

[rrantique]

Boy that is a nasty little three letter word "Tax"

[DC Dawg]

I sold off a half-dozen Colorado tax tokens earlier this year. They all went in the $2-3 range.

 

Tax tokens were heavily used in the early part of the century, pre-WWII, when taxes were in fractions of cents. They could be traded in the state for "change" when paying sales taxes on goods and services. Nowadays, they just round up or down to the nearest cent.

 

That's all I know about tokens... except for transportation tokens used in New York City--that's for personal reasons!

 

Scott

[rbrown4]

I believe a member of my local coin club may collect these. Are you interested in information, looking for a source or an outlet? We meet this coming thursday evening.

 

Rey

[DC Dawg]

PM sent

[rrantique]

No, Rey i was just wondering if i could see some from different states. Kinda of interesting bit of nostalgia. Thanks Scott for posting info.

[construct]

I don't collect them, but I have one from Missouri. It was among the coins my grandmother had saved when she died.

 

I would love to read information about them.

[Zoins]

For information on tax tokens, check out the American Tax Token Society (ATTS).

 

I wouldn't mind getting some of these but given how inexpensive they are I'd probably need to find some in person or buy a large lot to avoid getting large transaction/shipping fees.

 

I prefer the ones that say Mill on them as I think it's cool to get tokens denominated in Mills.

[construct]

The one I have is some sort of corroded metal. It doesn't actually say "mill" on it, but it has a numeral "1" inside an outline of the state of Missouri. It has peripheral lettering, "Missouri" above and "Sales Tax Receipt" below. Both sides are the same, and they are in medal alignment.

[rrantique]

Thanks for the link Zion i'll have to check it out. I have one of those also David,somewhere. I found metal detecting.

[James_OldeTowne]

I've sold dozens, if not hundreds, on eBay. They tend to do quite well.

[cladking]

These "tokens" were issued by state governments and circulated as money. The Secret Service stopped the use of them because they were being used as coins.

 

There are several hundred different if you count the varieties and dozens otherwise. Many collectors add the OPA ration tokens from WWII with these. There are around 75 of these.

 

None of these tokens is truly scarce but quite a few of very elusive in uncirculated condition. The pictured CO is tougher in unc. Gems tend to be extremely elusive for most of them.

 

Be careful what you pay for them since the wholesale price is quite low and there are still some hoards of them. Joining the ATTS would be recommended for those interested in starting a collection.

[Zoins]

These "tokens" were issued by state governments and circulated as money. The Secret Service stopped the use of them because they were being used as coins.

Hmm, are these better classified as coins then, like Conders, CWTs and HTTs.

[gmarguli]

I've sold dozens, if not hundreds, on eBay. They tend to do quite well.

 

How do you sell them, individually, grouped by type (i.e. All from Idaho), or in bigger lots? I recently purchased a folder filled with probably 100 of them and was thinking of putting it on eBay.

[rrantique]

These "tokens" were issued by state governments and circulated as money. The Secret Service stopped the use of them because they were being used as coins.

Hmm, are these better classified as coins then, like Conders, CWTs and HTTs.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Since it had the word "token" on it that is always what i called them

[cladking]

These "tokens" were issued by state governments and circulated as money. The Secret Service stopped the use of them because they were being used as coins.

Hmm, are these better classified as coins then, like Conders, CWTs and HTTs.

 

They have all the defining properties of coins unlike

conders, CWT's, and HTT's. Most of them do have

"token" right on them though. Perhaps this was

intended to persuade the Secret Service.

[Zoins]

They have all the defining properties of coins unlike conders, CWT's, and HTT's.

What defining coin properties do Conders, CWTs and HTTs lack? What about Pre-Federal (Colonial) and Territorial Gold pieces?

[cladking]

They have all the defining properties of coins unlike conders, CWT's, and HTT's.

What defining coin properties do Conders, CWTs and HTTs lack? What about Pre-Federal (Colonial) and Territorial Gold pieces?

 

..They were issued by a governmental authority. This would apply to most of the colonials as well.

[Zoins]

They have all the defining properties of coins unlike conders, CWT's, and HTT's.

What defining coin properties do Conders, CWTs and HTTs lack? What about Pre-Federal (Colonial) and Territorial Gold pieces?

..They were issued by a governmental authority. This would apply to most of the colonials as well.

Ah, there was a discussion about that here a while back. I was initially leaning the same way but was unsure so I asked the board. Most of the respondents in that thread do not consider a government authority to be a defining property of a coin. The thread initially discussed territorial gold but it was extended to include Conders, CWTs and HTTs. The opinions in that thread seemed to be:

 

Government authority is a defining property of a coin: jesbroken

 

Government authority is not a defining property of a coin: AegisIII, Hoot, James_EarlyUS, michael, okbustchaser, PerryHall, SageRad

 

We can add you to the former list. I don't really care one way or the other and was trying to get a consensus. I initially leaned towards a government authority being a defining property for coins but that doesn't seem to be the consensus so I switched.

 

It has been argued that use in general commerce is the defining property of coins. If one is aggressive and so inclined, this can be extended to disqualify government authority NCLT. Lately I've been thinking a lot of government authority NCLT are treated and used more like medals than coins.

[cladking]

Ah, there was a discussion about that here a while back. I was initially leaning the same way but was unsure so I asked the board. Most of the respondents in that thread do not consider a government authority to be a defining property of a coin. The thread initially discussed territorial gold but it was extended to include Conders, CWTs and HTTs. The opinions in that thread seemed to be:

 

Government authority is a defining property of a coin: jesbroken

 

Government authority is not a defining property of a coin: AegisIII, Hoot, James_EarlyUS, michael, okbustchaser, PerryHall, SageRad

 

We can add you to the former list. I don't really care one way or the other and was trying to get a consensus. I initially leaned towards a government authority being a defining property for coins but that doesn't seem to be the consensus so I switched.

 

It has been argued that use in general commerce is the defining property of coins. If one is aggressive and so inclined, this can be extended to disqualify government authority NCLT. Lately I've been thinking a lot of government authority NCLT are treated and used more like medals than coins.

 

I fear I missed the old thread.

 

One of the problems with calling non-official issues "coins" is that you end up with a whole raft of coins. Things like wooden nickels that were good in Omaha for two months during the centennial would suddenly become just as much a US coin as a half cent or trade dollar. Even hallowean scrip from the local malls that were good for a piece of candy might be considered legal tender.

 

A coin should have to be metal, issued by an official governmental authority and used in circulation for an indefinite period of time upon issuance. Things that are otherwise coins but don't circulate are often referred to as NCLT but this distinction seems to be lost over time.

 

Tokens are representative of something. Frequently they represent value and sometimes they virtually represent coins as in the case of CWT's.

 

Medals are to commemorate a person, place, idea, or event.

 

Medallions are large medals.

 

Certainlt the lines between all these can be blurred and the definitions lie on a continuum.

 

I simply consider ax tokens to lie well within the realm of "coin" despite the fact that most call them tokens and many say "token" right on them.

[AegisIII]

Government authority is not a defining property of a coin: AegisIII, Hoot, James_EarlyUS, michael, okbustchaser, PerryHall, SageRad

 

To expand on the above (and that is an accurate though incomplete statement on my thoughts on the definition of "coin"), let me note that I think that, for all practical purposes, there is only one defining property of a coin. And that a coin is typically called a coin.

 

Thus, I think that territorial gold are coins, with the exceptions of the Kohler and Moffatt bars. I do not think that hard times tokens, civil war tokens, tax tokens, or Conder tokens should be called coins.

[Zoins]

let me note that I think that, for all practical purposes, there is only one defining property of a coin. And that a coin is typically called a coin.

That's fine for many collectors but I can't justify using tradition for my own classification when it becomes objectively inconsistent. It does not compute for me. I like definitions to be objective and consistently applied.

 

One area where I especially disagree with tradition is the so-called New Haven Fugio Restrikes. Although these are typically called "restrikes," they seem to really be fantasy reproductions using completely different dies than the original. One can consider them similar to the modern Patina collection of British Commonwealth fantasy "retrospective patterns." I don't think most collectors would call those modern pieces "restrikes" but have no problem calling the similarly constructed New Haven Fugio pieces restrikes. I just can't bring myself to do it. That's not a slight against the New Haven Fuguio pieces as I actually prefer some of the designs over the original.

 

As for calling privately issued metal rounds "coins," my current view is that time limited rounds are tokens and ones that circulated between many merchants without limits on what stores or times it can be used are coins. Conders, like territorial gold, circulated and were accepted based on their bullion content. I don't have a problem classifying Conders and territorial gold both as coins or both as tokens. From the arguments I've heard, I won't classify them differently.

 

So although many collectors call Conders, CWTs, HTTs, etc. tokens, I'll call them coins because it fits the current definition I'm using. Also while many collectors call the New Haven Fugio pieces restrikes, I will call them replicas or tribute pieces, even if I prefer some of the designs to the original. If tax tokens were used for general commerce, I have no problem classifying them as coins as well.

 

Of course, these are my views for my personal classification. I'm willing to change my views if there are valid objective arguments, but I won't use definitions that are subjective and inconsistent.