Found a Token Today

[MDMac]

Found a token today at the old house I have been detecting, the one mentioned over in the "Questions and Answers" Thread.

This token is larger than a nickel and smaller than a quarter. On one side, it states, "The Arlington Buffet" and the other side has "Good For 6 1/4 cents in trade". The 6 1/4 is large, the other writing is small. I cannot find a year on it. I "Googled" it and all I get is Arlington, Texas Buffet Restaurants. I cannot make out the metal although is appears to be either copper or bronze in color.

Is this just another "Chuck E Cheese" type token or is there an interesting history behind it? My wife and I thought the 6 1/4 cents thing as being rather odd.

[EBCIII]

Congrats on the great find! I would hazzard a guess that is much better than a Chuck E token. If you can post a picture it would help. Very good hunting, Beale.

[Buster]

Good find on the token..it might be brass..maybe........if you can get a picture of it then Pappy can ID it..that is for sure...Buster......

[homefire]

Here is a start for your dig!

From 1866 to about 1900 is the Saloon Token Era. Now saloon tokens are known from the Civil War, and after 1900, but hundreds and hundreds of varieties were issued beginning about 1875, primarily in the Southwest. These tokens have denominations such as 1 drink, 12 1/2 cents, 6 1/4 cents, or "a smile" (a small whiskey). They are highly sought after and many command three-figure prices, especially those with pictorial designs, ghost town tokens, and territorial issues (from Arizona Territory, Montana Territory, etc.). Another innovation of this period was the pool token or "Brunswick" token, after the billiard company that issued the overwhelming majority of them. Many of these were "GOOD FOR 1 DRINK." A few counterstamps are known from this period - OIL OF ICE and PARISIAN VARIETIES, 16.ST. & B'WAY N.Y. - are typical, but it is the end of the era for them; advertising counterstamps are almost totally absent after 1900. Merchant store cards and trade tokens are common from this period also, but they are not characteristically different from those issued prior to the Civil War. An extensive series of these tokens have designs commemorating the Centennial of American Independence in 1876.


token stating 6 1/4 in trade

[PAPPY]

"BUFFET"...Possibly came from a furniture store. Check your library or reg. of deeds office and see if such a store existed in your area.

[Bearamacudda]

This dosent look like your coin but it is the same place. I hope this helps!

Display Token Records - All States

[Bryan Jon]

[MDMac]

Thank you for the link. I emailed Richard to see if he wants a picture of the token.