Readers Digest advertising tokens

[Prosit]

Don't know anything about this (that is normal) but it seems to me to have a high value for a token.
Eleven sides, brass, around 29mm and the same design is on each side.
I have another much more grungy example with a value of 13.97

Dale

[africancoins]

This is "Reader's Digest"...

Perhaps to mean that they will give a discount to the person the piece was sent to... when the next order is received. This might just be the only "denomination" for the British pieces - I think I have one.

I have a French equivalent - Aluminium, multi-sided, VALEUR 849F PIECE MERCI - along with the same logo.

I also have a few other reader's digest pieces (likely British).

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[andyg]

[Prosit]

The 13.97 example
Dale

[africancoins]

No other values are known to me.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[andyg]

If it's any interest Paul I remember being given a newly issued one, about 1992.

[africancoins]

So would you have had to send it back to get your money as stated on the token ?

I may have seen one or two of the other types when newly received - but unlikely any included a "value".

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[andyg]

This might just be the only "denomination" for the British pieces - I think I have one.

There is a £12.97 value token as well.
I've an idea that you could exchange this token for a book (whatever the promotional book was at the time) - hence the odd value. Memory plays funny tricks though.  Others had a 'magic number' - if you could match your number to the number printed you won a prize - of course most of the tokens had the same number, these date from around the same time.  Search on-line for Readers Digest and it soon becomes clear what sort of marketing they use, sending books on approval etc.  They were still chasing my Grandad for money several years after he died.

[africancoins]

12.97, 13.97 and 14.97

Any others in Pounds.... maybe not....

So why "97".... could this have been to let you get 3 books each priced at a number of whole pounds plus 99 pence each ?

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[Prosit]

I remember those RD book and bought several.  Usually a grouping of short stories which eventually led me to abandon them. (I like stories with more length to them). I do not remember getting any book tokens here in the US.  However I do remember getting smaller tokens for something.  I never kept any but think in this group of tokens I have in the corner there are several RD tokens....will look sometime.

Dale

[Prosit]

I am pretty sure I saw one in the bulk lot I got but I didn't set it aside.  Next time I go through the lot I will do so.
Dale

......VALEUR 849F PIECE MERCI - along with the same logo.

.....Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[andyg]

So why "97".... could this have been to let you get 3 books each priced at a number of whole pounds plus 99 pence each ?

Don't think so - I think the promotional book that you could get free (if you sent the token back) was priced at £14.97 were you to buy one without using the token.  I can't remember which value was on the one I had, but (and this is purely speculation) I could imagine that one year the promotional book was £12.97, then the following year £13.97 maybe.

£14.97 seems a bit much nowadays, but this was in the days of the net book agreement.  

[andyg]

I remember those RD book and bought several.  Usually a grouping of short stories which eventually led me to abandon them. (I like stories with more length to them).

Yes, readers digest condensed books.  I remember reading 'Jaws' when I was younger in this format.
I don't think these were the books you could 'buy' with the tokens though.  I do know if you ever replied to their mailings you were sent half a library 'on approval' before you could get them to stop....

[Prosit]

Columbia House was another (in the US) you never wanted to suscribe to.  12 Tapes/etc for 1c and buy 5 or more at normal price during the next year.  I got sideways with them once and had to deal with them for about 3 years.  PIA

Dale

Yes, readers digest condensed books.  I remember reading 'Jaws' when I was younger in this format.
I don't think these were the books you could 'buy' with the tokens though.  I do know if you ever replied to their mailings you were sent half a library 'on approval' before you could get them to stop....

[africancoins]

A little clarification...

So why "97".... could this have been to let you get 3 books each priced at a number of whole pounds plus 99 pence each ? ..... not necessarily the same number of pounds plus 99p each...

So e.g. 3.99 plus 4.99 plus 4.99 would be 13.97

Thanks Mr Paul Baker