I have this token that I found in a bottle of old coins and I can't figure out what exactly it is. I couldn't get a decent picture of it so I'll just try to describe it as best as I can. It's a round coin about the size of a dime. On one side it has a big 1 in the middle and an H in a little circle underneath it. Above the 1 it says W. J. Hobart. The other side says In Trade along the top and Ingle System along the bottom. Then there's a 1 in the middle with Pat. Jun. 1909 right underneath it. I've been looking around online for 2 hours now trying to figure out what it is and I haven't found anything, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
The 1 is different on the one I have. It's just a 1, not $1, and the name is different. Also, the Pat. Jun. 1909 is curved around the 1, not in a straight line underneath it.
My Ingle System reference usually provides listing info, but I could not find a listing for a W. J. Hobart token (the J.C. Weaver token is listed). Typically the one cent value tokens sell in the $2 to $5 range. As far as what it is, Ingle System Script was a system used to simply credit accounts. Prior to this system, businesses required large credit ledgers listing each item and its price for any credit purchase. Time consuming to say the least. Ingle provided a system where credit was extended by signing an I.O.U., then providing that person with the appropriate amount of Ingle System Script, which could be spent same as cash. Ledgers now only had to include an amount rather than a long list of items and prices. It is estimated that 75% of all Ingle System Script was used by General Stores, Groceries and Meat Markets. Coal and Lumber companies likely accounted for about 5% of use. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.
