Ann, my grandfather had a company store for the men who worked at his Texas cotton gins/cotton oil mills in the pre1941 period. The white metal coin-shaped discs were marked with different denominations such as 25 cents, etc. and could be used only at his commissary. I suspect that this practice was not uncommon in rural businesses with large numbers of employees. That is, until the IRS intervened. BJH 

 
Barbara J Hickman, Staff Archeologist
Archeological Studies Program
Environmental Affairs Division
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11th Street
Austin TX 78701
Telephone: 512.416.2637
Fax: 512.416.2680
 

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>>> On 02 February, 2011 at 4:37 PM, in message <[log in to unmask]>, Ann Raab <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I have been excavating a site in western Missouri that has confirmed occupations 
in the mid-19th century as well as the late 19th century and early 20th century. 
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a component that went into the 1920s and 
1930s, but probably not much later.

I have an item which looks like a tax token, but it doesn't fit into the mold of 
a typical state-issued token. It is copper, very thin (about 1mm) and is 27.2 mm 
in diameter (roughly a little more than an inch). The front of the token is 
stamped "Good For 2 1/2 cts." The back of the token simply has an S. H. stamped 
into it. There is nothing that identifies it as being from a particular state 
and there are no other graphics or decoration. Also, in the research I have done 
(very cursory) I have not found any state tokens worth 2 1/2 cents.

The "S. H." made me think of S&H Green Stamps, but I am not sure if they had any 
tokens like these. I would think the company name would be more obvious on such 
an item. There were also corporate coal mining interests in the area in the late 
19th and early 20th centuries. I wasn't sure if this could be a kind of "company 
store" token.

Any information or ideas would be welcome!

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