Hey everyone! I got back from our coin club meeting last night with a bunch of interesting new tokens that I picked up by chance. 🙂

It was hard to resist since a few of them have pictures of beer and skulls! When do you ever see that on coins?

I’ve attached some photos along with a bit of research I did:

This one is my absolute favorite. I love both sides of its design, and there’s something about its worn look that feels like it was used for many years. It’s like someone kept it in their pocket for ages!

Check out the details on both sides of the token:

It makes me think of how people might have coped during the Prohibition era. 🙂 Here’s some info about the “Crusaders,” the group that created these tokens, from Tipsico Coin (the linked article also has pictures showing the tokens in better condition):

“1930’s era anti-prohibition advertising token issued by the Crusaders, a Lake State-area political group. They were founded in 1929 in response to the failure of the 18th Amendment, with the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre as a trigger event. These tokens served as both good luck charms and political pieces advocating for the repeal of the 18th Amendment. The ‘5 Cents’ likely refers to the traditional ‘5 Cent Beer,’ not as a merchant token since it lacks specific advertisements.”

Writing this is making me thirsty!

Here’s another cool alcohol-related token, and this one’s a “spinner” token, which I had never heard of before researching…

See that little bump in the middle of the token’s left side? You place it flat on a table and spin it, and wherever the arrow lands on the upward side determines who buys the next round of beer. 🙂 I wish these had been around when I was in college in the ’90s!

And get this — the “Brown-Forman Distillery Co.” still exists! Here’s a bit of its history from their website:

“In 1870, George Garvin Brown, a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Louisville, Kentucky, started J.T.S. Brown and Bro. with his half-brother, using $5,500 in saved and borrowed money. They innovatively sold whisky in sealed glass bottles to guarantee quality, at a time when whisky was usually sold by the barrel. Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky became their flagship brand.

After several name changes and a dissolved partnership, George Brown partnered with his accountant and friend, George Forman, to create Brown-Forman.”

Check this out — see if you recognize any of these brands! [From Wikipedia]

“Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the largest American-owned companies in the spirits and wine business. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, it manufactures several well-known brands worldwide, including Jack Daniel’s, Early Times, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, GlenDronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh, Finlandia, Herradura, Korbel, and Chambord. Brown-Forman previously owned Southern Comfort and Tuaca but sold them in 2016. In fiscal 2016, the company had sales of $3.08 billion.”

Jack Daniel’s! These spinner tokens must have been great for marketing, haha…

I find this next one cool because of its simplicity. It’s made of modest aluminum, and the portrait with the slogan “Never Fail” aligns perfectly with George Washington’s character. He might not have liked his image everywhere due to his humble nature, but it certainly helps keep his presence alive. 🙂

On a different note, here’s a token from the Washington DC Metro system. I picked it up because I’m fond of items linked to places I’ve lived.

It was only $1.00 — what a deal!

I struggled to determine if it was a subway or a bus token. The info I found dates it between the 1930s-1950s, leading me to think it was a bus token. My findings also showed that the DC Metro adopted technology earlier than most other metro systems.

I love this token’s gritty look, especially the bold “CAPITAL” across the center as though proudly declaring itself to the world. 😉 These were used for one fare/ride, but now they’re often repurposed as vintage jewelry if Etsy is any indication.

This one is clearly for bus transportation since it literally says so on the other side, haha. The picture doesn’t show it well (sorry about that — I love showcasing the different containers coins and tokens come in!), but it has “Metrobus” and the date “1982” on the reverse, which is nice for collectors like me.

Even though these tokens have been phased out for public sale, Metrobus says they’re still usable, so I got a great deal getting it for just a dollar when fares today are double that. 🙂

Lastly, I grabbed this interesting coin club token from the Washington DC area. Although their website listed on the token is no longer active (the risk of stamping it on a coin — hah!), Google redirects you to their new address: AlexandriaCoinClub.org. (They switched from .com to .org.)

I also love that the collector reused a 2×2 holder initially meant for a French coin, haha. Talk about being resourceful! Unfortunately, its time was up as I had to destroy it due to an annoying stray hair — did you see it in the photo? All black and curly? *shiver*

That’s the latest addition to my collection. How about you? Have you found any exciting or unusual items lately?

My favorite part of this hobby is not knowing what you’ll discover on this journey — even better when you can snag half a dozen coins for just ten bucks!