Skånepolletter - Tokens of Skåne, Sweden

Started by FosseWay, January 17, 2017, 09:40:37 PM

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FosseWay

Skånes Numismatiska Förening / Coin Club has just published a large volume on the county's tokens, in the same style as the earlier Stockholm book.

More info (in Swedish) here: http://www.sknf.se/

I haven't yet got a copy and have only seen one in passing, but it is impressive and also answers my main criticism about the Stockholm volume, which was that it didn't include some of the most recent (and therefore most frequently encountered) tokens. The Skåne book includes everything the authors have been able to amass.

Figleaf

It's a pleasant surprise to see such a major effort on tokens. They deserve the attention. They are part of a country's economic and social history. I trust there will be more volumes on the tokens of other counties. When you get your copy, can you do a review for the bibliography?

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

FosseWay

I now have my copy of this book and have been absorbing myself in going through it and adding catalogue numbers to my records. I have reached H so far and have already attributed some unknown tokens and corrected som misattributed ones.

Full bibliographical information:

Original title: Skånepolletter: Skånska polletter och deras utgivare från äldre tider fram till nutid
Translation: Skåne tokens and their issuers from early times to the present day
Authors: Bernt Thelin & Magnus Wiik
Published: Wiik Antik, Lund/Uppsala, 2016
ISBN 978-91-983598-0-0
Format: full colour, A4 hardback, 280pp.

This book owes its inspiration and format to the Stockholmspolletter book published by Kungliga Myntkabinettet in 2010. As it covers an entire province rather than a single city, it is arranged somewhat differently - by town and then alphabetically by issuer. More or less all tokens listed are illustrated. Each issuer's listing is accompanied by a short text about the issuer and how the tokens were used, to the extent that this is known.

Unlike the Stockholm book, Skånepolletter covers right up to the present day (exhibition tokens and car wash tokens from the last few years are included).

FosseWay

Peter: to answer your question about books on tokens of other counties/areas, the Gothenburg (city only) volume, which I am involved with, is nearing completion - we have essentially drawn a line under what will be included, and are now concentrating on gathering background information. We hope to publish mid-2018 or so.

Additionally to this, some GNF members have expressed an interest in producing a Bohuslän volume. Halland was also mentioned. These are only at the "nice idea" stage though.

If volumes of similar comprehensiveness to those published so far were produced for all of Sweden's regions, it would probably make Sweden the best-covered country in the world for token literature.

Figleaf

There is a trend line, going from Whitman coin cards to Seaby's series on UK coins to the Craig/Yeoman catalogs on coins by country and type to KM listings by date. Tokens are more numerous and complex and often enough less informative, but I think I see something similar happen in the field of tokens also (and WoT is part of it). Information is added all the time, to the point where at some time, a national catalogue is feasible. There already is one on Dutch metallic tokens.

The Gothenburg book sounds like a super project. Wishing all those working on it well.

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