The Gold Mine Museum

[malj1]

This token for 'the gold mine museum' adult entrance token was received in a job lot. consimilar brass 28.1mm

It appears to be South African, perhaps from Johannesburg, although I found no direct evidence; possibly it may be linked to the Gold Reef City casino? 

I did find the corresponding child token listed on BidorBuy SA but sold unfortunately. This too is in brass but the size is unknown. It may even be of the same size?

[Figleaf]

It might be a turnstile token? That would let people get in quickly (e.g. when a busload of tourists arrive) and the guard just needs to check the colour of the token.

Peter

[Afrasi]

I think it is not from Gold Reef City. All their tokens - slot machine, gaming arcade and "ZAR coinage" - have a unique style. Additionally it is not typical for any South African token.

Here the three types of the Gold Reef City tokens

[malj1]

I was basing my thoughts on this blog that google found for me:

Gold Reef City currently has a 2Ft gauge train with a Diesel locomotive known as the Fun Train. It runs round the outer perimeter of the entertainment park and can take about 40 passengers. It stops at two stations, George Harrison station and Lang Laagte. It all started when the Curator of the SAR Museum in Johannesburg was contacted by Anglo-American Corp, who wanted to establish a "Gold Mine Museum" on the property of a closed Gold Mine that was still basically intact.  They wanted to run a narrow gauge train around the complex of the new museum and asked the SA Railway Museum if they could help them with narrow gauge railway equipment.  At that time the SAR museum had a NG engine and coaches stored at De Aar and arrangements were put in place to take the Anglo American management to De Aar to inspect the equipment which would be loaned to them until the SAR’s own major museum which was in the planning stage would be completed.  The SAR museum staff flew to De Aar with Anglo Management in one of their twin-engine planes so that they could see the equipment for themselves.  They then flew onto Uitenhage where they met with the SAR Mechanical Engineer who would undertake the restoration work of the engine - a class NGG 16 no.111 and rolling stock that could be operated at the new Gold Mine Museum.  This was all agreed to and the stock was uplifted at De Aar, sent to Uitenhage for repair and then onto Gold Reef City.  It started to operate on the perimeter track but a problem soon arose with the NG Garratt - steam engines need proper maintenance facilities which didn't exist at the Gold Mine Museum. The NG coaches were also not suitable for a "Fun Train". They then decided to place the engine on static display and get a diesel "Fun Train" loco to haul the new toast-rack carriages around the site. The NG coaches were returned to SAR.  The engine no.111 is still at the museum which was privatised and re-named "Gold Reef City". The SAR major museum that was planned for Kaalfontein, then Pretoria and finally at Krugersdorp Loco, never materialised except for the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George which was done on a much smaller scale than what was planned originally.  The Gold Mine Museum was also given a class 19D 4-8-2 as well as a van that was used to convey gold bullion to the mailship at Durban.  These items remain at Gold Reef City.
source

Do they mean the museum or the engine?    It seems to say Gold Reef City is the name now.

[Afrasi]

Yes, Gold Mine Museum seems to be the older name for Gold Reef City. So your token could be from there, but I still have the feeling your token being not from South-Africa.

[malj1]

It is no use all my searches come back to Johannesburg! This seems to be the only museum to use that precise name.

This magazine article from July 1980 tells of the Gold Mine Museum official opening the previous month.

Another quote from a google book says:
...such as the Gold Mine Museum at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg...

Whilst searching I did find a mention of some other entrance tokens for the Apartheid Museum. [lost the link but no pictures anyway]

...Yesterday, we took a rare day off, and went to the Apartheid Museum, which is adjacent to Soweto. BJ and I were given entrance tokens. Mine said white. His said non white. We had to enter separate doors and pass down separate corridors lined with identify cards issued during apartheid....

[Afrasi]

Many thanks! I am convinced. Very interesting! I will have to look for them.