Wooden Nickles, And Other Play Money

Here are a few wooden nickel "flats" from the 1951 Norwalk, CT Tercentenary:















For more on Norwalk's Tercentenary, see:

= 1951 Norwalk, CT Tercentenary

I'm sure it's not a first, but this is the first time I have seen a QR code on a wooden nickel. This 38mm token is from a home bakery located in Morgantown, West Virginia. I picked it up at a craft show in Fairmont WV during "Small Business Saturday."

A 1936 commemorative Wooden Nickel from Great Barrington, Massachusetts:




Great Barrington is a small town (Population: ~7,200) located in western Massachusetts.

The area occupied by the town was originally settled (by Europeans) in 1726, and was incorporated as a Town in 1761.

From the "Historic Great Barrington Walking Tour" brochure, the town was:

"Named after Lord Barrington, an English aristocrat, the town was an important center of government and commerce during revolutionary times. In 1761, it was designated the shire town, or county seat, of Berkshire County by the colonial government and a courthouse and jail were erected."


In 1961, the town marked its 200th anniversary with a brass "Good For" token vs. a wooden nickel. I'll pull my example out and post an image soon.

Here is a pair of 1951 commemorative wooden nickel "flats" marking the 100th Anniversary of Hammond, Indiana; they share a common back.





Hammond is a small-ish city in northwest Indiana (Lake County) with a current population of ~78,000; it borders Lake Michigan and Chicago, Illinois.

The city can trace its roots to German immigrants who settled in the area in 1847. It was formally settled in 1851 and was called Hohman It was renamed (in 1879) in honor of George Hammond. the butcher that opened a major meat packing plant in the area in 1869 - it was the area's major industry for many years. Hammond was incorporated as a city in 1884.

@jbuck: Everyone wants to know - Did you ever get a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas?

Best Christmas movie ever!
Jbuck, ca. 1977:

Here's a pair wooden "flats" commemorating "100 Years of Progress" for Rock Hill, South carolina.




Common Reverse



Rock Hill is located south of Charlotte, North Carolina (by ~25 miles) and north of Columbia, SC (by ~70 miles).

It traces its first European settlements to the 1830a, but gained its permanance as a result of the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad's decision to build a rail line through the area; the line was to connect Charloote, NC with Agusta, Georgia.

From the City of Rock Hill web site:

"Rock Hill earned its name in 1852, when the Charlotte/Columbia/Augusta Railroad line was being constructed through the area. Rail crews encountered a small, flinty hill and dubbed the spot "Rock Hill." A U.S. Post Office was established during that year, marking the official beginning of the city.

The railroad brought business into the area which thrives as a result. The village was incorporated in 1892.