Three classes of tokens I haven't seen mentioned yet, Ration tokens, transportation tokens, and coal scrip. I have two full sets of the ration tokens. I don't do the other two but I like the coal scrip. Coal scrip was a private "coinage" issued by coal mine owners to pay their workers at mines in remote areas. Since the scrip was only good in the company store it effectively locked the miners into working for the owners. They had no real money so they couldn't go elsewhere, and since the company could keep the prices in the store artifically high the miners were always in debt to the mine owners and they could not leave until their debt was paid off. This for all practical purposes made the miners slaves to the mine owners. There are two books on the coal scrip issues, one for the mines of West Virginia, and the other for the rest of the country.
I believe Reverend Trask was attacking tobacco more on a religious vice nature than as opposed to a bad for your health nature! What maintains one vice would bring up two children. - Benjamin Franklin
I love Tokens since they add diversity to my collection. However I only collect tokens if either they appeal to me (or as a previous poster put it "speak to me" lol) or if they are from Indy.
Here is a token that I could not pass up once I finally had the chance to buy one. They used to be more commonly found in the marketplace 10+ years ago, but haven't seen many at all in the last few years. Interesting legends!
