Looking to learn about the best token books.

bjamin

What are the token books that one needs to have in their library? And I happen to enjoy the first editions so if anyone knows which of those is also worth it that would be of help too.
Thanks
Bjamin

coinsarefun

Number one most important

Another very helpful book

cladking

This is a complex question.

I believe the best references are specialized and most tokens (by variety) have not yet
been cataloged.

Telephone tokens- Targonsky or Frank Earl's "Slotted, Grooved, or Punched".
Transportation tokens- Atwood Coffee Catalog of US and Canadian Tranportation Tokens (vol I, II and III). I believe Vol III is a mess and should be used for reference only. Join the AVA.
Good fors'- are cataloged by state but not every state exists. ...such as Michigan Merchant Money by Paul A Cunningham.
Trade coin (US and Canada)- Jean Guy Cote (pocket guides)

There are also catalogs of amusement and video arcade tokens. TAMS often prints specialized catalogs for things
like pickers tokens. Mardi Gras Doubloons are listed primarily by sellers so are incomplete. All of these catalogs
are individual collections or started out from individual collections. It will be many decades until all the tokens are
properly sorted out and cataloged.

As an example I once acquired a issuers collection of Charlotte, Michigan good fors. This collection might have in-
cluded every token issued up to about 1925 but who knows. Of the ~25 different tokens only five were previously
recorded. This is known to exist everywhere; most tokens that were issued have no surviving examples. Since
most tokens were issued in batches of 1000 and the dies discarded reissues resulted in new varieties. As a rule
all surviving examples came from the issuer after years of use or neglect and between 500 and about 800 survive.
But issuers often destroyed the tokens and only a few or none at all still exist.

Common tokens like a Pittsburg tram token were ordered in far larger numbers. Most large issues are common but
early varieties can be scarce especially in good condition.

A token collector just needs to assemble his own library and keep clippings related to his specialties. No matter
what token you collect, after you put a lot of effort into it you'll find you have unlisted items.

There are still companies out there taking orders for tokens every day. I doubt they keep any better records now
than they did inthe past.

Dentuck

Roscoe

The first response was closest to the one I went with when I started but following up with this for an early edition I found worthy of the library shelf.

Fuld's Civil War Store Cards Early Edition

Sonorandesertrat

Coinsarefun's suggestions are good. A recent book by QD Bowers is also useful: 'A Guide Book of Civil War Tokens'

Join the Token and Medal Society: http://www.tokenandmedal.org/
The back issues of the TAMS Journal will keep you busy, if you have the desire to hunt them down.

Broadstruck

<< <i>Number one most important >>



The 4th Edition Rulau book is the one that I recommend as at nearly 1300 pages it's a good start.

Barndog

be sure to check out book and other literature dealers:

Bryce Brown (http://brycebooks.squarespace.com/)

also

Fred Lake

http://www.lakebooks.com/


David Sklow

http://www.finenumismaticbooks.com/


I'm sure other people here can suggest additional sources

BillJones

The Standard Catalog of United State Tokens 1700 - 1900 has a lot of information in one place. It is now old, and the prices are out of date, but the attributions are quite good EXCEPT for the Civil War token section. That area is quite inadequate IMO. The Hard Times section is the same as the stand alone later edition of the late Russell Rulau's standard reference, which is excellent.

The classic references for Civil War tokens are the two books by George and Melvin Fuld. The first Bowers Civil War token book is okay, but it could stand some improvement. He has issued a second one that I have not seen.

American Political Badges and Medalets 1789 - 1892 by Edmund B. Sullivan is still the best reference in that field. There are no prices, and the rarity information is not adequate, but 98% of the 19th political campaign medalets that you will encounter are in it.

That covers the tokens that I collect.