Coin and Token

[Tandy]

Hello there,
having noticed that I am not the only one to dig up coins and other circular objects, I thought that you may be interested to see what I dug up fairly recently.

When I first saw it, I thought it may have been a coin. On cleaning it, I discovered that it was a token, used by two hairdressers in Melbourne, Victoria. The picture shown here reads

"Wynn & Langley"
"Hairdressers Royal Arcade"
"Melbourne"

 

[Tandy]

The other side of the token reads "No 3 1/6"

Around the perimeter it reads " W. H. Bartlam Maker Post Office Place L. Bourke St Melbourne"

My own interpretation of the No 3 and the 1/6 is that this was a No 3 token, with a value of one shilling and six pence.

 

[drjhostetters]

Hey Tandy...

Nice looking token...I think you're right about the numbers...

A bit of unsolicited information...

Know why "they" started issuing tokens at the various establishments that used them?

To keep your money..instead of giving you change for your money for their merchandise "they" gave out tokens to be sure you had to "spend" them at their establishment! Kinda like our local Bi-mart stores..they usd to have gift certificates...you could buy something inexpensive and get the rest of the gift certifiacte back in real money..no more..they now use a "credit" type card with a certain value ascribed to it and you use the card until the amount is used up.

Collectors like to have the various tokens..good find!

The Doc..Dr J...[X(]

 

[Tandy]

[] Hi Dr. J!

It certainly was a rather interestring practice of issuing tokens, wasn't it? I have also heard that many of the early tokens were issued because the proprietor was actually short of cash. In the earliest days of "Australia", the government of the day relied on the supply of English money. When it was scarce, tokens were issued to be used by the public in the merchants shops.

At some stage over the next month or so, I will post some photographs of more finds from this intriguing dump. When I find them, that is.