Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #087 - 1982 - May[International Arcade Museum]
bken (Jorner
MBY STEPHEN ALPEFSTOHBHHMBHBBHMH
WHAT
TOKENS ARE
MADE OF
Over the past two centuries, tokens have been made
from a great variety of metals and other materials.
Sometimes economic conditions have determined the
composition of tokena
Starting back in the late 18th and early 19th century,
tokens were made out of the same metals used for the
coinage at that time: copper, silver, and gold. Since the
tokens were often needed because of coin shortages
or as conveniences in operating businesses, they
were used as substitutes for government issued coins.
Thus they were made out of the same metals as coins,
and of the same sizes, containing the same intrinsic
Brass was used to a minor extent for tokens during
the Civil War and earlier, but was seen by the public as
having almost no intrinsic value.
THE LATE 19th CENTURY
The tokens of the late 19th century were made of
many metals and other materials. Copper and brass
were popular. Other metals included German silver,
tin, nickel, and pewter. Pewter, also called soft white
metal, looked like silver when new. But it tarnished to a
black or lead gray color, and because of its softness,
was easily bent, scratched, bruised, and gouged.
The process of extracting aluminum from bauxite
was developed in the late 19th century. At first it was a
very expensive process, and aluminum was about as
valuable as silver. Many late 19th century advertising
tokens were struck in aluminum to advertise and
promote this new wonder metal — strong, attractive,
and light-weight.
The cheapest form of token of the late 19th century
value of copper, silver, or gold as the government
was round cardboard tokens. They could be bought in
coins. Thus they were accepted by the public as
objects of intrinsic as well as redeemable value.
different denominations (all about silver dollar size but
differently colored) either with business name and
Most tokens issued before the Civil War are copper
and the size of the large cent then in circulation. Some
tokens of higher denominations were made of silver,
and even gold (the famous Brasher Doubloon — now
worth over a half million dollars; and privately struck
town custom printed on each, or with blank spaces to
be handwritten in on each one. However, they had a
gold coinage in areas where gold was discovered —
North Carolina, Utah, California). Some tokens were
struck in German silver, a nickel-like alloy.
It wasn't until the Civil War that it was discovered that
it could be profitable to issue tokens that were passed
off for a value higher than their intrinsic value.
During the Civil War there was a severe coin shortage.
People hoarded gold and silver coins, and then even
copper coins. This resulted in a scarcity of small coins
for change-making in commercial transactions. At first
postage stamps were used, but they quickly became
dirty and sticky from frequent handling. So they were
put in cellophane envelopes, or encased in round
brass holders with a mica window over the stamp, and
an advertisement on the back. But these cost more
than the face value to produce (cost of stamp plus
holder). Some paper tickets or coupons were also used
as small change substitutes.
But it was the issuance of copper tokens that saved
the day. At the time, the new smaller flying eagle cents
and Indian head cents were in circulation, the size of
our present penny but thicker and made of copper-
.com
m
:
u
m tokens
e made the
nickel, a whitish-tan metal. o
us were
fr The
m
d
-
same size, but thinner
and made
of
copper. Thus they
e
e
ad rc even
ad with a custom struck
cost less than n a lo
cent each,
a
.
w
advertisement
Do / on
ww or both sidea Tens of millions of
w one
/ issued
:
these privately
Civil War tokens were struck
p
t
ht
through 1864, when they were outlawed. At that time
Congress changed the composition of the cent to
copper and reduced its thickness, in effect copying the
more efficient tokena
© The International Arcade Museum
48 — THE COIN SLOT
short circulation life and had to be reordered frequent
ly. So overall they weren't any cheaper than the more
durable copper or brass tokens.
Other non-metallic substances being used to make
tokens in the late 19th century were hard rubber (also
called vulcanite) and celluloid.
Hard rubber tokens were made from crude rubber
and other elements, poured into sheets and vulcanized,
then die struck in heated presses. Transportation
companies were the major users of vulcanite tokens.
The tokens were naturally black, but could be artifically
colored red, orange, brown, etc. They wouldn't corrode
or dissolve in solvents. Fire would melt them, and
excessive sunlight would make them brittle. Otherwise
they are quite durable.
The use of vulcanite for token production ceased by
1900, due to rising rubber prices, and the new demand
for rubber for bicycle and automobile tirea Celluloid
then took the place of vulcanite for transit company
tokens. Celluloid was the first organic compound of
synthetic origin (the first plastic). It was originally
developed as a substitute for ivory in billiard ball
manufacturing, around 1870. Celluloid is hard and
strong like vulcanite and could be dyed any color. Its
main problem is that celluloid is highly flammable, and
may have been responsible for many transit company
firea Celluloid tokens were made until about 1910,
being replaced by aluminum.
TWENTIETH CENTURY
By the turn of the century, slot machines had become
widespread and a major user of tokens. Most slot
machine tokens are the same size and thickness as
coins. Previously, most tokens issued by saloons, cigar
stores, etc., were larger than a quarter. But after the
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
May, 1982