Hey guys, I recently bought a token from May Hosiery Mills off ebay for $2. On one side it says "Good for 5c in Trade" and on the other it says May Hosiery Mills. I know the mill was located in Nashville but that's all I have been able to determine. If anybody knows anything about these, specifically when they were made, I would greatly appreciate it. Its got a rounded rim like some Hong Kong coins and its made from aluminum. Thanks, Tyler p.s we have a like button now??? Facebook is taking over the world!
Given that it was good for 5c in trade, it probably dates back 70 or more years when hosiery costed about 10x that amount. Chris
Do you have a pic lincolncent? A lot of times with these tokens actually seeing it can sometimes give you an idea as to its age and purpose. The style of the lettering and design are important in trying to date a piece like this. Bruce
Thanks for the pic lincolncent. It's hard to say for sure, but it looks early 1900's, possibly a little older although the style is relatively plain. The older tokens had a tendency to be a bit fancier. I'll take a look around and see if I can find out anything for you. Bruce
I found out a bit about your token Tyler. The mill was originally called Rock Island Hosiery Mill, but the name was changed to May Hosiery Mill in 1908 when it was bought out by Jacob Day a former textile salesman from New Hampshire. They were located on Chestnut St. in Nashville until sometime in the 80's when they went out of business. In their heyday they supplied socks to three major retailers of the day, Montgomery Ward, Marshall Fields, and Spiegel. Also during World War II they supplied socks to the military and also manufactured proximity fuses for mortar shells. Man, there's a strange combination of products for you! They had about 1,200 employees at that time. I didn't find out anything about your token, but it was likely good for a discount in a retail outlet that they had. It can't be dated any earlier than 1908, and I suspect no later than about 1920 or so. It's a nice historical piece and a nice pickup for $2. Bruce
Jacob May founded the company in 1861, and was succeeded by his son, Dan, upon his death in 1946. I would assume that there weren't many tokens used after 1946, if any, so you might want to concentrate your research to the period, 1861-1920 or so. Chris
The catalog number for the 10 cent variety is ATCO 004651; TAMS 015483. Don't know if this helps. 1957 Dun & Bradstreet lists May Hosiery with a note that the firm was also located in Pottstown, Pa; A 1929 Textile Directory lists the firm's locations as Nashville and Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
