Collecting Tokens Strateges
Collecting Tokens
Although the dictionary defines "token" in many different ways, two meanings are prominent. A token can be any stamped piece of metal, issued as a medium of exchange, with a nominal value considerably greater than the commodity value of the metal from which it is made.
By this definition, all of Canada's current coins are, in fact, tokens, which is why some people would call them a "token coinage." When most numismatists refer to tokens, however, they are usually talking about tokens that were not issued by governments and which are not legally coins. There are many kinds of such tokens, and they provide fascinating and often inexpensive avenues for collection.
Municipal Trade Tokens
One of the fastest growing areas among Canadian numismatists is the field of municipal trade tokens.
Transportation Tokens
Many local bus companies sell tokens for use on their buses. These tokens have also been issued in the past for use on street cars or trolleys. And they are also used to speed patrons through the turnstiles of subway systems in Canada and
the United States.
You may already have one or two of these tokens left over from your last trip to Toronto or New York or Omaha. It can be the beginning of a yet another area of collecting within numismatics. This photo shows an example of a transportation token issued by the Detroit & Canada Tunnel Company to use the tunnel under the Detroit River.
Milk and Bread Tokens
Many of us can remember when horse-drawn wagons delivered dairy products and bakery products direct to our front doors. In order to facilitate deliveries, many dairies and bakeries sold tokens to their customers. The customer would leave the appropriate token on the door step. Then the delivery man would leave the proper product without having to disturb the customer.
These tokens were made of various metals but aluminum was the most common. They could be found in various shapes and sizes. And they usually were imprinted with the name of the dairy or bakery, as well as the name of the town.
Casino Tokens
Las Vegas, Nevada, is the city most closely associated with gambling. The slot machines, or 'one-armed bandits,' are operated with any denomination of coin, from five-cents up.
In addition, there are dollar machines that used to be operated with silver dollars. The disappearance of the silver dollar from circulating coinage in the United States prompted gambling casinos to produce suitable tokens of non-precious metals to operate the dollar machines. Each casino eventually had tokens with a variety of designs, usually the façade of the casino. For just $1 (U.S. currency) each, a collector visiting Las Vegas could acquire an interesting variety of souvenir tokens, but they are almost never found without scratches from the machines or "bag marks." Casino tokens have not only been issued in Las Vegas, but in other states that have legalized gambling. Canada has a casino in Windsor, Ontario which has issued tokens. This is an example of a dollar gaming token which could be used at a casino in Black Hawk, Colorado.
Hudson's Bay Company Tokens
Since the late 17th century, the "Company of Adventurers into Hudson's Bay," commonly known as the Hudson's Bay Company, explored and opened up huge tracts of land for European settlement in their fur trade with the aboriginal peoples of Canada. To facilitate trade, the company factors sometimes used an intriguing series of metallic tokens. These rare and historic pieces are seen mainly in museums, but they do appear on the market for sale from time to time.