British Co-op tokens denominated in money

[malj1]

Here is my set of Guide Post co-op tokens:

    penny 21.9mm
    threepence, 21.9mm.
    sixpence, 21.9mm.
    shilling, 25.4mm.
    two shillings 26.5mm
    five shillings, 28.8mm.
    half sovereign, brass 19.3mm
    one pound, bronze 22.3mm

The five shillings can be seen clearly as tinned iron while the others are the same with a thin coating of rust.

The two high values are marked Ardill Leeds.

[Figleaf]

Good stuff, gentlemen. With Redwine's info and the picture of the half sov and the pound, we can safely assume Ardill is correct for all. Thank you.

Peter

[Figleaf]

Copper, 22.3 mm, 4 gram. A very welcome return of UK co-op tokens to my collection. I don't have the Rains book. Does this one have a catalogue number?

Peter

[FosseWay]

London CSL 2 in Rains.

There is also a round, tinned iron bracteate 6d and another hexagonal bronze one with the date 1964 on one side (these are numbers 1 and 3 respectively).

No. 2 exists in both 0 and 180 degree rotation (this isn't from Rains, but from looking at mine).

[Figleaf]

Great. Thank you!

Peter

[ZYV]

Above in the theme is «£2 that's very odd».
«Target on the reverse» is letter O.

And here is «more odder» piece with letter M and individual stamped number (!).

3.01 g, 25.9 мм.

What can be said about it, if you please?

[Figleaf]

The Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society was perhaps the largest co-op in Britain. They had several shops in what is now the Greater London area. My guess is that the letters were to distinguish these shops.

As for the number, it was evidently punched in later. It may be a membership card number. If so, Royal Arsenal would not have been pleased to be unable to re-cycle the token.

Peter

[Galaico]

Here is a Co-op token that I have...

PORTSEA ISLAND MUTUAL C.S.L. - 6d ARDILL LEEDS
Ref.: DRR#19

28 mm; 6,67 grams; Medal alignment.

[Figleaf]

That reference to Rains makes it brass, milled edge and from a period starting in 1873. Portsea is in Hampshire. TFS Galaico!

Peter

[Galaico]

Another Co-op token that I have...

ROYAL ARSENAL CO OPERATIVE SOC. - 6d LIMITED
Ref.: DRR#43

32 mm; 2,90 grams

[Figleaf]

Arsenal co-op may be one of the most active issuers of co-op tokens. Keep them coming, Galaico. One day, they will figure in a WoT section.

Peter

[Figleaf]

See replies 107 and 108 above. This is Rains 4.

The London Co-op emerged in 1920 as a result of the merger of the Stratford and Edmonton co-ops (both in Essex, outside London.) It ceased to exist in 1981 on joining Co-operative Retail Services (CRS).

Peter

[Figleaf]

See reply #33 above. Here is the variety with all the dots in the legend at the same height.

Peter

[Figleaf]

See here for more information on the St. Cuthbert tokens and co-op and its connection with James Bond.

Peter

[Figleaf]

See also reply #112.

Portsea island is dominated by Portsmouth. Portsmouth industrialised early. Though production increased - in the period 1803-1805, Isambard Brunel established the world's first mass-production line at Portsmouth Block Mills, making pulley blocks for rigging on the navy's ships - it did so at the cost of misery - in 1818, the country's first "ragged school" for destitute working class children was opened in Portsmouth. After a cholera epidemic due to lack of sanitation in 1865, Portsmouth expanded and renovated the sewer system and built a working-class suburb, Somerstown, of around 1820 houses in the 1870s.

The co-op was founded in 1873 as Portsea island mutual, later shortened to Portsea island. Its earlier tokens are signed ARDILL LEEDS and PIMCO. It turned itself into Southern Cooperatives in 1998, but its orange milk tokens were used until 2004. Rains describes the token below as brass. Mmm.

Peter