I found this, this year, while metal detecting. It says "NEWKOM BROS, Good for 5c loaf bread" I have searched all over google, there is no mention of "newkom bros" or "newkom brothers" As a matter of fact, there are only 7 people in the entire country who have a last name of Newkom. Bread was 5 cents a loaf around the turn of the century. Rose to 10c a loaf sometime in the 20s. So I can ascertain that this token is from the turn of the century. I found it on a sidewalk strip, in a location built around the 20s, maybe earlier. By the way, the back is blank. I think this token is extremely rare. Since I cannot even find a mention of the place called "Newkom Bros". Do you think this token would have some value to the right person? I know something like this might be hard to sell, but I am almost 100% sure I have the only one in existence.
That may be a stretch because store owners usually bought tokens in lots (100, 200, 500, etc.). Your token may not be listed anywhere on line, maybe not even in any token references, but that does not necessarily mean that you have "the only one in existance". Nice find by the way.
Thanks. I am also wondering maybe this was a sample token? Maybe a token maker made up the name newkom, and was showing someone what their tokens look like? That might explain why I can't find any newkom bros.
Yup, this is exactly why coin/token populations are referred to as the number "known" rather than number that "exist". The latter is usually impossible to know. Detecto: is it uniface or is there anything on the other side? The problem with trade tokens is that there are just soooo many of them. Probably less than half that ever existed have been cataloged.
Rare? Maybe. I couldn't find it in the Rulau reference. But then, many small merchant tokens aren't listed there. I have a few from my hometown from the late 19th century that have survival estimates around five pieces, but they are only worth about $20 on a good day. So rare may not mean valuable. Guy
Hey...since you have a token book, is there any tokens that are brass, with no wording on the back, and say "FREE ICE" on them? I have one in my token jar. About the size of a quarter. Lastly, any from Alexis, IL that say "Ryner's Recreation"? Thanks.
I looked here and couldn't find anything and couldn't find anything, maybe look around and you can find something. http://tokencatalog.com/index.php
That one isn't in my book either. But, like I said, many aren't listed. Those are both interesting pieces worth hanging onto if you like them. I've always loved collecting merchant tokens like those. I'd be interested in any further info you might dig up on these, as I'll add them to my references. And if you have any more you'd like to post perhaps a few might be in my books so that I can give you more info. Guy
Like Guy said, there are so many of these that the references cannot hope to list them all. Anyone with a simple little machine could crank out 200 of them at the time, maybe 3 are in existence. Also, he is also very right that rarity does not equal value. If there are 3 of something in existence, but only 2 people want it, what's the value of the third?
Most of the people named NewKom live in California. I would probably start there Have you checked Steven Albums two books on California tokens? The problem with many tokens trade tokens is you have to check in the right specific reference. Better than half of the states have a specialized reference for the trade tokens for that state. There are also books that specifically trace "maverick" tokens that don't say on them where they are from. Even with the specialized books though there are many tokens that have still not been listed and states that don't have books written yet. (When the Indiana book came out it listed 80 tokens from Muncie. I know a specialized collector of Muncie tokens who has almost a hundred Muncie tokens that are not listed in the book.) If is frankly amazing the number of trade and good for tokens that were used in this country i the late 19th and early 20th century. Probably well over ten thousand different ones.
