Wooden Nickles, And Other Play Money

Here's another wooden "dickel" (I'd previously shown one of this type back on page 4 of this thread).





Ken's Koins seems to be still in business in Red Lion, PA but evidently nowadays at a different address.

This one's not in itself remarkable but for the fact that it apparently dates to a time when a quarter might've represented a significant discount on a prescription. Chris' Drugs is so far as I can determine defunct.

Here is a Dickel advertising the company that made Dickels like in Lucky Cuss' post.
(The yellowish color in the photo is pretty well accurate.)










Thanks, Lucky Cuss I've never seen one of their actual products before

One more that's intriguing is that this "Souvenir Wooden Nickel" for its being completely generic. I wonder if it wasn't meant to be a sales sample, albeit in that case the information as to who it could be ordered from would've had to have been separately provided. The quite artistic depiction of an Indian chief is distinctive enough that perhaps it can nevertheless be attributed to a specific supplier?

Here's a set of wooden nickels from Greensboro, NC. They were issued in 1958 when the city was celebrating its 150th anniversary.

1. General Nathanael Greene - Greene was an American general during the American Revolution. He was born and raised in Rhode Island and became a military leader shortly after hearing about the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Greene replaced Gen. Horatio Gates as the commander of the Southern Department of the Continental Army on December 3, 1780. He led his troops against the Lord Cornwallis and the British at Guilford Courthouse near Greensboro on March 15, 1781. The battle was a victory for the British, but Greene's tactics ensured that it was a very costly one and it did not achieve its primary goal of destroying Greene's army. Greensboro, NC was named in honor of General Greene.

Note: The wooden nickel misspells the General's name using "Nathaniel" vs. "Nathanael."

To learn more, visit: Nathanael Greene: Early Years or Gen. Nathanael Greene at Guilford Courthouse





2. John Motley Morehead - Morehead represented Guilford County (Greensboro is the county seat of Guilford County) in the NC House of Commons (1826-28) and served two terms as the State's Governor beginning in 1840.

To learn more, visit: John Motley Morehead





3. Captain John Sloan - Sloan was an officer in Greensboro's Guilford Grays, which was formed in June, 1861.

The Grays were officially (after two name changes) referred to as Company B, 27th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, Army of Northern Virginia - they were an infantry company in support of the Confederacy in the US Civil War. The Grays distinguished themselves in action at New Bern, NC, and in Virginia at the Seven Days' Battle (Richmond), Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Bristoe Station, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburgh. Ultimately, Captain Sloan was among those that surrendered at Appomattox.

To learn more, visit: The Guildord Greys






4. O Henry - O Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter. He was an American writer of short stories.

Porter/O Henry was born in Greensboro, NC on September 11, 1862; he died in New York City on Jun 5, 1910. His stories typically related the events experienced by ordinary people and typically had a surprise/unexpected ending; New York City was a common setting for many of his stories as his most prolific time came when he lived there.

Of his many works, I am most familiar with his "The Gift of the Magi."

To learn more, visit: O Henry Bio and Stories

Great write-ups on the personages depicted on that Greensboro set. I for one really appreciate the effort put into that post.

My first piece of "ply currency" -