Another collection I have started is a town set of trade tokens of Oregon. My goal is one trade token per town, preferably in R-4 or higher, but I will also go for interest, preservation, or anything that says "pick me." Why Oregon? I was born in Roseburg, Oregon. My parents were born in Oregon (Lacomb and Waldport). My earliest Oregon roots include direct ancestors who made the trek in a covered wagon along the Oregon trail. My younger years usually saw me spending a week with my grandparents on the Oregon coast (Yachats). I started school in North Bend before we moved to California. Both of my grandfathers were loggers (fallers) in Oregon. It seems as good a topic as any other.

I'll start my posting with a map showing the locations of towns for which I have tokens. The approximate locations are marked with triangles, some names are from the original maps I've used, some I've added. Not all the towns will appear on modern maps as some are gone or combined into other towns. If you can't read all the names, oh well. I'm shooting for a general distribution map as the collection grows.

I'll start with a 50¢ bimetallic trade token of the Oregon-American Lumber Company, Keasey, Oregon. It has been cleaned, but the token is listed as R-8 (10-24 known) in Trantow's catalog of lumber company tokens as as R-6 (2-5 known) in Hemphill's catalog of Oregon trade tokens.

Obverse: GOOD IN MERCHANDISE / FOR FIFTY CENTS / 50 / AR BEECHER (signature) / GENERAL AUDITOR / FOR / OREGON-AMERICAN / LUMBER COMPANY.

Reverse: ISSUED AT EMPLOYEE'SREQUEST / ON ACCOUNT OF WAGES / O-A / L Co / TO BECOME DUE IN / FUTURE - NOT TRANSFERABLE.

The logging camp was in the mountains west of Vernonia. The token likely dates to the 1920s.

The Consolidated Timber Co. of Glenwood was formed in 1939 and tokens were ordered in 1941. The stock token with cut out was produced by a script manufacturer. The design and cut out designed to minimize the likelihood of counterfeiting. Glenwood is south of the Keasey timber area.

Obverse: CONSOLIDATED TIMBER CO. / 10 / IN MDSE. ONLY / NOT TRANSF. / C (cutout) / GLENWOOD.

Reverse: MASTER METAL SCRIPT / 10 / INGLE - SCHiERLOh CO. / DAYTON O. / IN TRADE. Marked DES. PAT. 75656

This style token was produced between 1933 and 1941. Trantow lists the piece as R-5 (75-99), Hemphill as R-4 (11-20). The piece is struck in white metal, 21 mm.

The Deschutes Lumber Company operated out of the Mowich logging town between 1934 and 1943. Mowich was located north of Crater Lake and went out of existence in 1948. The brass 31 mm token is listed as R-9 (5-9) by Trantow and R-3 (21-35) by Hemphill.

C.A. Nott Pool Hall in Yamhill, Oregon. Clarence A. Nott was listed as selling cigars, etc. in 1928. My guess is this scalloped, 28 mm aluminum token was issued in that general time frame. Hemphill lists it as R-4 (11-20).

O. (Otto) A. Giles, The Club in Freewater, Oregon. Ten cent token, aluminum, octagon, 27 mm. R-4 (11-20) in Hemphill.

Goodfellows in Dallas, Oregon, 25¢ trade token. Brass, 27 mm. R-4.

Dallas was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the US serving with James Polk, 1845-1849.

J.P. Medernach's Saloon, in business in 1901 in Pendleton, Oregon. The token carries the mark of the manufacturerL. H. MOISE S.F. L. H. Moise was a well known token manufacturer in San Francisco. The company merged with C.A. Klinkner in 1897, although they used the joint and individual names through 1904. The token could date to the 1890s. White metal, 21 mm, R-2 (36-50). Relatively common, but I like the design, the age, and the San Francisco link.

Note the clear clashed die on the obverse.

Cozy Billards, Toledo, Oregon. One of the earliest trade tokens acquired in my collecting years. I spent the summers on the Oregon visiting my grandparents and I acquired this token from their kitchen drawer. Whether it was and adds'n'ends item or one of the acquired it in Toledo, I can't say. Nevertheless, it is my connection to my childhood collecting days when I started my first cent collection from grandma's penny jar. Brass, 21 mm, R-5 (6-10)

Update: a second token from Toledo. An R-4 aluminum token from Al's Place.

An odd piece to throw into the mix. Hand cut dies, hand struck bar token of the Barony of Terra Pomaria, Society for Creative Anachronism, Salem, Oregon. From the 1991 faire. Everything you ever wanted to know about Terra Pomaria.

The obverse reads, BAR GEMELS APRIL 3, 4, 5. The reverse is the date XXVI or 1991.

Seaside, Oregon, The End of the Trail, near the mouth of the Columbia River. 50¢ R-5 aluminum token circa 1930.

Warm Springs on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation is home to a casino. This anodized aluminum token is over 20 years old and was acquired from family during a trip to Oregon (to Madras near Warm Springs). It is common, but the token holds memories of a family outing (that did not include a visit to the casino).

So many "Good Fors" follow a stock design--business, town, what's it good for. The token from C.S. Schock of Estacada, Oregon is unusual. I guess the central design is a bush, perhaps an Oregon bush and I assume the reverse 25 means it is good for 25¢ in trade. I'm also guessing it dates to around 1920 or earlier. I welcome other thoughts or real information.

One of my favorites in a realtively new collection. An R-5 token.

Relative common token from the Bend Elks Club. Elks Club tokens are common around the country in all denominations. My grandfather was an Elk member and I have a few teeth and other artifacts from his active days. I had to have an Elks Club token or two even if they are common. 1371 is the lodge number.

Club Billiard Parlor, Newberg, Oregon. An R-5, 5¢ aluminum token. I'm guessing this token is pre-1930.

Astoria, Oregon maverick (i.e. the town name is not included on the token). In general, mavericks are not that useful for my collection of tokens from each Oregon town. The lack of the town name defeats the purpose of the collection. However, this token intrigued me because the 2 in 25¢ has been scratched out to make it a 5¢ token. While mint state, perfect coins and medals are the ideal of collecting, there is something about a token that shows it was definitely used that attracts me. While many of the pieces lack in artistic beauty, they all capture local history. Having passed through the hands of local citizens as they went about their daily lives adds something to their appeal in my opinion.

An R-4 token whether 5¢, 25¢, or modified, there is no inherent monetary advantage to damaging a 25¢ token today.

Florence Cigar Store, an R-3 or relatively common Good For. Florence is one of the towns I would visit with my grandmother during summer stays. None of its tokens are particularly rare and Florence holds fond memories of my youth, primarily in visiting the sand dunes.

Okay, not actually a token of Jewell, a token of an establishment 8 miles south of Jewell. Perhaps the T stands for tavern. Close enough until I can find a token from Bill's Place in Jewell! The town post office was closed in 1964.

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Snow Peak Logging Co. My father was born in Lacomb, Oregon in 1930. His Grandfather moved his family from Tennessee to Lacomb in search of a new life. My grandmother's family already lived there. Her father, James Cox. owned the Snow Peak View Farm and grew strawberries. Her mother Edna Cox, was the post master, one of the few women in that position in the nation. My grandparents, great grandparents, uncle, and many other relatives are buried in the Lacomb cemetary. The town no longer exists as a separate jurisdiction, but most of the houses are still standing. While not exceptionally rare, this token is probably the most "valuable" in my Oregon collection. Hemphill's Oregon Trade Tokens lists it as R-2 (Common, 35-50) while Trantow's lumber company catalog lists it as R7 (25-49). The company was in business from 1939 to 1946.

Jacksonville, Oregon grew out of the Table Rock mining camp around 1851. Herman Helms moved to Jacksonville in 1856 and became the owner of the Table Rock Saloon built in 1859. Helms home still stands as does the saloon building facade. The token pictured here was made by Moise in San Francisco, so it must pre-date 1904.

The Oregon Lumber Co. was founded in 1906 and the mill at Dee, Oregon burned in 1996. The town of Dee was named for Thomas D. Dee, a stock holder in the lumber company. The token is listed as R-3, but is relatively easy to obtain.

The Canyon City Bottling Works and indeed the town of Canyon city burned to the ground in late October 1898. I presume this R-4 token post-dates the city's disaster.

J.H. McGinnis trade token from Baker city, Oregon (R-3), probably around 1915 to 1920.

A rather simple design for a trade token. I assume it is post 1950, but I have no real clue. I selected this piece for the collection because it is so unlike other trade tokens. Rainier, Oregon R-3.