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he image of the Western saloon is indelibly etched in the American of the more unusual and popular denominations are tokens that are
conscience and the tokens issued by these establishments form a “good for a smile,” that is, good for a small shot of whiskey.
Ttangible link to their storied past. While saloon tokens were used The use of saloon tokens ended almost overnight with the ratification
throughout the United States beginning in the mid-to-late 19th century, of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. Most businesses that continued
it was in the Western states such as Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and to serve alcohol illicitly did not want to advertise that fact and any tokens
California where they took off in earnest. issued by speakeasies did not mention their purpose at all. Once liquor
sales resumed legally in 1933, the era of the saloon token had ended, and
HISTORY few businesses resumed using them.
In the rough and tumble era of
remote Western towns and mining
camps, saloons were a common
sight, and even in many tiny
towns, there were several such
drinking establishments available.
With that much competition,
tokens helped to ensure return visits.
In addition, a small change was
not necessarily readily available, thus
such tokens served as an alternative
medium of exchange.
According to the article “An
Introduction to Collecting Antique
Saloon Tokens” by Carolyn
Augustine, “Authentic Rocco Saloon Jamestown California Token:
saloon tokens were Good For One Drink. Selling on eBay for $125
‘minted’ during the photo: OldSilverandGold
heyday of western
saloons, roughly IDENTIFICATION AND VALUE
from about 1870 to
1910 – earlier in While many bars used tokens that were good
some locales, and for a drink, generally for a piece to be consid-
This 1899 Pony Saloon Arizona ered a proper saloon token, the word “saloon”
Post-War token reads “Pony later in others. must appear on it. In some states where liquor
Saloon, J.H. Marrs Prop. “Saloon tokens laws were strict or locales that were dry, saloons
Tombstone, Ariz.” The reverse text created for saloons and bars used evasive language on the tokens to
on this token reads “Good For 12 were born out of the obfuscate the nature of the business or outright
1/2 ¢ In Trade.” The obverse barter system that char- did not use “saloon” or “bar” on the tokens.
depicts several lines of text with a acterized the unsettled
beaded border. The reverse of the and sometimes uncivilized While they could be considered saloon
token shows a beaded border with territories of the Old West. … tokens and are eagerly collected in their
value in the center. Currently These tokens, which were generally own right, because they are missing
valued at $18 at coinappraiser.com that all-important word, they are
‘good for’ the goods and services at a usually omitted from specialist
specific place of business, were
commonly used for business transactions in saloons all across the listings and catalogs of such pieces.
Some saloon tokens from the
Western United States, according to one expert, beginning as early as East Coast are quite rare and have
the 1700s and lasting through the beginning of the 20th century when
prohibition brought legal activities at saloons to a dead standstill.”
For the most part, token denominations were fairly straightforward; Very Rare c. 1870s silver Austin, Texas
many simply indicated that they were good for a drink or a cigar, while Palace Saloon/Jules Bornefeld merchant
others were equal to 2½ cents, 5 cents, 6¼ cents, 10 cents, 12½ cents, trade token selling for $3,500 on eBay,
and occasionally as high as 25 cents, among other denominations. One approximately 1” diameter.
Photo: treehousetreasures331
28 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles