bill Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Its the 1930s, no iPhones or social media and yet still people had problems meeting face to face? Apparently so, for these tokens were used by clothiers and department stores around the country in the 1930s. This particular token is from Chicago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Love it. The obverse reminds me of hobo nickels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Neat token. #10 was a pretty hefty purchase in the 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I wonder if they were an attempt to regain some of the trade lost to mail-order catalogs. Deal with a real person 'face to face' not with an impersonal mail-order company. Intrigued by the '$10 Tom' did that mean he sold $10 suits, or he could dress you head to foot for that sum etc. Whatever it meant the token was for 50 cents off a $10 purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 It looks like the token is somehow for $10. Which in this digital age, I have to point out is equivalent to 80 bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 It looks like the token is somehow for $10. Which in this digital age, I have to point out is equivalent to 80 bits. The reverse states "good for 50 cents on a $10.00 purchase" thats what makes me think the obverse 'This is $10 Tom' "meet me face" might mean this is '$10 Tom' himself, compare to 'Sam the Record man', Dan the Carpet Man' etc For a token in that era $10 is quite a sum, lets hope Bill can enlighten us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 OK, misread it then and it's a half-byte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Buy $10 worth of goods and get 50 cents off. That's a 5% discount on a new suit? Half a byte works for me! A similar token from Baker, Oregon (issued by a tailor) carries a "Don't Worry Club" symbol on the reverse (the good luck symbol, a swastika). These images are precursors to the Mad Magazine "What Me Worry" boy, Alread E. Neuman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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