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 Replies: 20 / Views: 18,930 |
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New Member
United States
18 Posts |
Hello Folks, I found this token in a lot of coins I recently purchased. It's quite worn, but appears to be a 5 cent coal script token for the Tennessee Coal Mining Company. I did a search for this token on Richard's Token Database online and came up empty. It appears to be made of nickel and measures approximately 18 mm in diameter. My questions include the following: 1. Is this a rare token? Is it listed in the reference books anywhere? Any idea when the token was made? 2. Is this likely the same Tennessee Coal Mining Company involved in the famous Coal Creek War in 1891? Any information you folks can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!   Identified - moved to Tokens forum - Sap |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
I believe your token is listed as MAV-18a-5, struck in nickel, no cut-out, with a rarity of R-9 (5-9 known specimens to exist). (A similar 10 cent denom is also listed.)
Edkins lists the token as reading TENNESSEE COAL & MINING CO. Despite the ampersand, I still believe its your token. Maverick means it hasn't been attributed to a specific state, town, and company.
Consulting Dodrill's guide, there exists no company name that specifically matches. The closest is the Tennessee Coal Co. out of Briceville, Anderson County, TN, operated by the Harry R. Smith Store.
Cross-referencing back to Edkins, I see that only 25,50, and 1.00 denoms are listed for Smith's store. These three are also struck in nickel, with no cut-out.
Even though the token is currently listed as a Maverick, if I were to make an educated guess, I would associate it with Harry Smith's store; and if that were true, it'd be listed as TN-375-G5 respectively.
Indeed, after a quick glance at an 1892 Tennessee Department of Mines report, the taxonomy of the company's name in Briceville matches your token:
To answer your question, the town of Briceville was certainly part of the Coal Creek Wars. Based on my estimated attribution, indeed the token and the company were involved.
Coal miners firing on Fort Anderson from a hillside (probably on the slopes of Vowell
Mountain) during the Coal Creek War (1891-1892) in western Anderson County, in the
U.S. state of Tennessee.
Coal miners in the Coal Creek Valley gathering to discuss strategy during the Coal
Creek War (1891-1892) in western Anderson County, Tennessee, USA.
Sources:
1. Edkins Catalogue of United States Coal Company Store Scrip, 3rd Edition, Volume I, Williams & Ratliff, NSCA, 1997
2. 20,000 Coal Company Stores, Gordon Dodrill, 1971
3. 'Harper's Weekly (Vol. XXXVI),' August 27, 1892
4. Second Annual report of the Commissioner of Labor and Inspector of Mines Volume 2, 1892
Edited by CheetahCats
09/09/2011 8:37 pm
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New Member
 United States
18 Posts |
Thanks CheetahCats. I've seen quite a few references on the internet that attribute the name "Tennessee Coal Mining Company" with Briceville, TN and the Coal Creek War. It would be nice to find a photo of one of their tokens in any denomination for comparison. I find it interesting that so few of these would exist today. It would seem that these tokens should be fairly common since all the coal miners were paid with this scrip back in the day. Perhaps most were destroyed or discarded when the mine shut down in 1891. When it reopened with convict labor, there was no longer a need for the scrip. Very interesting.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
It would be nice to find a photo of one of their tokens in any denomination for comparison. That may be difficult given that it's an R-9 specimen; Only 5-9 are estimated to even survive today. One caveat you should also remember is that there are quite a few coal companies, with and without coal tokens that bear very similar names to Tennessee Coal Mining Company. I was only able to ferret out and identify your token with the assistance of Dodrill's guide, in conjunction with Edkins'. |
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New Member
United States
4 Posts |
Hello everyone, I found this thread when I was researching a token I have. It was given to me from my grandfather who was a minor in Tennessee. I can't find this token anywhere online. I'm mainly looking for a date and any information about it. I think it may be from the same company but a different name. Thanks for any help.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
Hello everyone, I found this thread when I was researching a token I have. It was given to me from my grandfather who was a minor in Tennessee. I can't find this token anywhere online. I'm mainly looking for a date and any information about it. I think it may be from the same company but a different name. Thanks for any help.
Scrows: Your token is not from the same coal company.
Your token originates from Grundy County, Tennessee.
Its catalog number is Edkins TN-2825-A5. It appears to be an ORCO Type-2, which would imply it was struck sometime between 1930-1938. (If it is an ORCO Type-3, it would have been struck in 1939.)
My notes show that three separate coal company stores operated on behalf of the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company:
- Tennessee Consol Coal Co Store, Tracy City TN, 1905-1922
- Nunley Ridge Coal Co Store, Tracy City, TN, 1905-1922
- Palmer Store, Palmer TN, 1923-1958
Now, ORCO didn't exist as a company until the mid-1920s. And your token is a type 2 or 3. That would eliminate the first two companies listed above, as per their dates in operation.
Therefore, most probably, your token originates from the Palmer Store. (Note that Palmer and Tracy City are only about 20 miles apart.)
Note too that strike date does not necessarily imply the actual dates of usage. Your scrip token could have been struck in the 1930s, yet still circulated through until the 1950s.
Palmer Tipple, Image courtesy of Mining Artifacts & History
Palmer Miner, Image courtesy of Mining Artifacts & History
Palmer Mine Entrance, Image courtesy of Mining Artifacts & History
Did your granddad provide you with any additional information other than what you've indicated?
Edited by CheetahCats
09/29/2011 04:49 am
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New Member
United States
4 Posts |
Thanks a lot for all the information CheetahCats. No I don't have any more information about this script. I found it in the bottom of a shoe box full of belt buckles that was given to me as a kid. Thanks again
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
I found a token that reads Fork Mount Coal Co. or it might be Fort. I can't find any info on this coal company, but I found the token metal detecting in TN. Does anyone have any info on this token?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
I found a token that reads Fork Mount Coal Co. or it might be Fort. I can't find any info on this coal company, but I found the token metal detecting in TN. Does anyone have any info on this token? I should be able to provide you with some info when I get back to my desk later this evening. |
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
I finally found some info on the coal company. They are in nearby town. However the only tokens from them I have seen online are different than what I found, so I wonder how many designs are there. Btw- I found it metal detecting less than 2 inches underground which is interesting considering how old it is. Should I clean this token and if so with what? I am not that knowledgeable about tokens, but have been warned by other metal detectorists not to clean old coins or it ruins their value.
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
Here's photos- finally figured out how to make pics small enough file   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Do not clean!
I will get you the variety info when I get back to my desk in about an hour or two. :)
Edited by CheetahCats
02/06/2012 10:27 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Your token is an Edkins TN-1045-C50, Anderson County. It is listed as having an Edkins Rarity Rating of R-6 (50-74 surviving in existence.)
Dodrill lists several company store ventures at Fork Mountain, all owned/operated by Fork Mountain Coal Company:
Fork Mountain Commissary, 1932-1950
Regal Store, 1931-1950
Fork Mountain Coal Co [Store], 1934-1950
Dodrill lists that Fork Mountain Coal Co employed 250 employees, at Fork Mountain, during the span of 1931-1950.
Your specimen is a Type-MM2 Master Metal Scrip. They were struck between the years 1934-1941. Therefore, your specimen was in circulation during the time that all three stores were in existence. It was probably exchanged/spent at all three stores at various times.
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
"I owe my soul to the company store".
Mining paid poorly, and their employers also owned the stores.
Everything was overpriced, but the miners had no easy way to get to cheaper stores. They no sooner got their pay than they had to pay off their store balance and perhaps rent on a company owned shack.
They couldn't quit, because they owed the company.
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
Thanks for the info! I hope I can find some more of these. Is a R-6 rating that good? I did talk to a friend who said his dad worked for Fork Mountain Coal and he thinks he might have some of the scrip somewhere. Should I clean the corrosion off this token or is it more valuable with the original "patina"?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
"I owe my soul to the company store".
Mining paid poorly, and their employers also owned the stores.
Everything was overpriced, but the miners had no easy way to get to cheaper stores. They no sooner got their pay than they had to pay off their store balance and perhaps rent on a company owned shack.
They couldn't quit, because they owed the company. In many cases, that is indeed the case. Most especially in Appalachia and coal camps. And much of what you describe occurred pre-1920s, before the Labor Movement kicked in. The West Virginia Coal Wars, including the Battle of Blair Mountain, are examples of where the tide began to turn. If you're interested in that sort of history, you can read a lot of first-hand accounts in old issues of the United Mine Workers Journal, up to around 1922. Edited by CheetahCats
02/08/2012 6:25 pm
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Replies: 20 / Views: 18,930 |
Posted 09/12/2011 11:32 pm
