Gold Token ?

Well, I don't know about "cheesy", but pics often don't do justice to a coin, as we know.

It's surely one of the modern repros sold in curio and gift shops. Many years ago (more than I care to remember!) when I was a young lad about 10 or 11 I was spending the weekend with my grandparents. For some unknown reason I was looking in the drawer of the nightstand and there were 5 or 6 of these things in 2x2's, all of various designs. I thought they were really cool! I asked my grandmother and she said I could have them.

Many years later I happened upon them in "my stuff" and took them to as coin shop, one of those that sells all kinds of stuff including coins, and asked the guy if they were "real". He looked them over and told me they weren't real gold, but tokens, modern ones and worth a couple of bucks.

As I can remember about half were California Gold tokens, and a Maxmillian, and one that I think looked like the one in the auction. They really do look nice in hand, and look like real gold.

Over the years I gave them to friends and such and I think I still have the Maxmillian somewhere. I have looked up the "real" ones and the cheap tokens are pretty good replicas. Except the California Gold tokens have a bear on the reverse which the real coins do not.

So maybe I'm a little biased on these! I think they're cool. And apparently some of the later ones do have a thin gold plating. In my old age I've gotten into real gold, and thought I'd like to buy one of the real ones, but those little suckers are expensive!

Anyway, thanks for bringing back a memory.

Steve

Thank YOU for allowing me to relive a pleasant memory I haven't thought of in quite a while, and my telling of that memory helping to break the spell of your melancholy. Who would have ever thought a "cheesy" little coin could do THAT?!?

I do the "banana dance" in your honor.

It's peanut butter jelly time!

I do believe you answered my question in another section. I too came across some tokens, but I was antiquing with my wife. We played hooky from a conference in Nashville and found a quaint store well south of the city. My wife loved the shop and instantly picked up on the gold coins. I didn't know anything about them, I never collected gold coins, but the "California Gold" on the reverse had us conjuring up all kinds of "49er" images.

My wife has passed now, but I'll always remember where we found the tokens even if they're not worth anything. It was a great day.

Thanks Whytlash