Hey there! I had a blast at our coin club last night and ended up with a great collection of new tokens that I picked up, perhaps unintentionally 🙂

It’s hard to resist when you see coins with images of beer and skulls! How often do you find those on coins?

Here are some pictures of the tokens, along with a bit of research I did:

This one is my favorite of the bunch. I love the design on both sides, and its worn appearance gives it a nostalgic feel, as though it was carried around for years. I imagine someone keeping it in their pocket as a little companion.

The lines on both sides are fantastic too:

I guess that’s how folks coped during the prohibition era. 🙂 I found some info about the “Crusaders” who created these tokens from Tipsico Coin (the linked article also has high-quality images if you’d like to see the tokens in their prime):

“1930’s era anti-prohibition advertising token issued by the Crusaders, a political group from the Lake State area. They started in 1929 as a response to the failure of the 18th Amendment, sparked by the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. This token served both as a general good luck charm and a political statement in the crusade to repeal the 18th Amendment. The “5 Cents” reference likely nods to the traditional “5 Cent Beer,” rather than advertising any particular merchant.”

Thinking about all this makes me thirsty!

Another fascinating alcohol-related token! This one’s a “spinner” token, which was new to me before my research…

In the left-hand picture, notice that little circle bump in the middle of the token? You set it flat on a table and give it a spin. Wherever the arrow lands on the upward side (right-hand pic) determines who buys the next round of beer. If only we had these in the 90s when I was in college!

Here’s an interesting tidbit: the “Brown-Forman Distillery Co.” is still around! Here’s a brief history from their website:

[In 1870] With $5,500 in saved and borrowed money, George Garvin Brown, a young pharmaceuticals salesman in Louisville, Kentucky, starts J.T.S. Brown and Bro. with his half-brother. They sell whiskey in sealed glass bottles to assure its quality, an innovative approach at a time when whiskey is commonly sold by the barrel. Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky is the flagship brand.

After several name changes and the dissolution of the original partnership, George Garvin teams up with George Forman, his accountant and friend, forming Brown-Forman.

Recognize any of these brands from Wikipedia?

Brown-Forman Corporation is a leading American-owned company in the spirits and wine industry. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, it manufacturers renowned brands like Jack Daniel’s, Early Times, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, GlenDronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh, Finlandia, Herradura, Korbel, and Chambord. They previously owned Southern Comfort and Tuaca but sold them in 2016. In fiscal 2016, their sales were $3.08 billion.

Jack Daniel’s! Those spinner tokens must have been quite the marketing tool!

This next token caught my attention because of its simplicity. Made from unassuming aluminum, the portrait and slogan “Never Fail” are perfect for George Washington, who probably wouldn’t mind his image being everywhere, as it helps keep his legacy alive 🙂

Taking a break from drinking and moving on to transit (because no drinking and driving!), this token from the Washington DC Metro system caught my eye as I love collecting items from places where I’ve lived.

Plus, it was just a dollar—score!

I struggled to determine if this was a subway or a bus token, but my research hints it dates back to the 1930s-1950s, leading me to think it’s likely a bus token. The DC metro was known for adopting technologies earlier than most other systems.

I adore the gritty look of this token, especially the bold “CAPITAL” across the center—it’s like they’re proudly showcasing it to the world 😉 These were exchanged for one fare/ride, but nowadays, they seem to be used more in vintage jewelry, if Etsy is any indication.

This one’s definitely a bus token, as it literally states so on the reverse. The photo could be clearer (forgive me, I just love showcasing all the different containers coins come in!), but you can see the “Metrobus” marking on the reverse, along with the date “1982,” which appeals to collectors.

It’s fun to know how old these finds are!

Even though they’re no longer sold to the public, Metrobus says you can still use them. So I scored a deal by snagging this for a dollar, given that fares today are two bucks 🙂

Finally, I picked up this interesting coin club token, again related to the Washington DC area. Though their website listed is now defunct (the downside of engraving web addresses on a coin – haha!), Google still guides me to the right site: AlexandriaCoinClub.org. (They’ve switched from a .com to a .org)

I also appreciate the collector’s frugality in reusing a 2×2 holder that previously housed a French coin. Unfortunately, its life ended when a stray hair drove me crazy, so I had to toss it! Did you notice that black, curly hair in the left-hand picture? *shiver*

That’s my latest haul! How about you? Have you added anything interesting or random to your collection recently?

What I love most about this hobby is the thrill of discovering new treasures along the way, and it’s even better when you nab half a dozen coins for just $10!