Free Lead Pencil

Started by brandm24, December 04, 2022, 10:36:03 PM

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brandm24

Apparently, someone has attributed this to Nome, Alaska. Not sure how that happened but I would like to
 know how I get my freebie. Show up in the mayor's office and request a No.2 pencil maybe? ???

BruceAlaska Lead Pencil 1.jpgAlaska Lead Pencil 2.jpg 
Always Faithful

chrisild

No idea why anybody would issue a token which is "good for one pencil". :D The funny thing is, there is actually an "Alaska" brand - pencils, ballpoint pens, etc. But I don't think this token has anything to do with those pencils ...


Abhay

For a moment, I thought this post is regarding the Free Lead Pencil that you get in a Hotel. :D  :D  :D

Abhay
INVESTING IN YESTERDAY

brandm24

The seller who's a top notch token man had Nome, Alaska as the source of the "free pencil." I'm still wondering where that came from.

Interesting that there's actually an Alaska brand pencil. Even if it was good for one of those where would you redeem it. ;D

Bruce
Always Faithful

Henk

This token is listed as number 34, under the city of Nome, in: Alaska's coinage through the years by Gould, Bressett and Dethridge. Whitman publishing 1965 (2nd edition). No explanation about this attribution or explanation of it is given.

Tokencatalog.com has the following to say about this token. Number TC-67306: 10year Supplement; Benice(2010) 2A; TAMS 14665 Also attributed to Unknown and Mount Calvary, Wisconsin
Image courtesy of thbco; This token has long been attributed to Nome, Alaska, because one was found there many years ago. It was first attributed by Dethridge (1965) to "Nome prior to 1910".

An auction listing in "The Alaskan Token Collector & Polar Numismatist: 1992"  states:
Alaska Tokens: Nome. "Alaska", Good for One Lead Pencil (B~2a); New
Lincoln Bar, 50 Cents in Trade (B-33a); W.J.B., no denomination (B~40a).
All dug, all corroded but fully legible. All three were "dug" in Nome.

And finally Alaska and Yukon Tokens: Private Coins of the Territories, 3d ed. By Ronald J. Benice, has the following entry:
Alaska lead pencil.jpg

 

Figleaf

An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

chrisild

Great find indeed! But I still wonder why anybody would produce and issue a token which is good for a pencil. ;)

Figleaf

When I was young and innocent, pencils were sold in a box of 12. I can imagine a promotional campaign, where you'd pay for 12 and get 13 (a discount of 8⅓%) for a limited time. It would have been relatively difficult to change the size of the box conveniently, but you could include a thin token for the extra pencil.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

brandm24

Sounds like the old "baker's dozen" where you pay for twelve but get thirteen. Make the extra donut jelly please  ;D

A great piece of research, Henk. Many thanks for that. Still no info on who would redeem the token though.

Bruce
Always Faithful

chrisild

Quote from: Figleaf on December 05, 2022, 11:12:17 PMI can imagine a promotional campaign, where you'd pay for 12 and get 13 (a discount of 8⅓%) for a limited time.

Ah, that makes sense!  :like: