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Showroom for african tokens

Started by Marcisharki, November 21, 2010, 05:33:25 PM

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Harald

Quote from: Afrasi on December 29, 2010, 12:38:22 AM
As I know they were used as tax tokens, like the pieces of the British South Africa Company in Rhodesia or the nice pieces of the former Belgish Congo.
After their proposed use they circulated as emergency money at different worth depending on the depicted animal.

right, that is what Lecompte writes after having copied it from Mazard who in turn gives no reference.
maybe the tax story is correct, then apparently the idea was abandoned pretty quickly. but I doubt that were used for payment.
they always come in basically uncirculated.

cheers
--
Harald
http://www.liganda.ch (monetary history & numismatic linguistics)

Marcisharki

Hello again ;)

so, we now we continue the journey through Africa and move-on down south to Angola !

Angola lies on the West African coast, south of the equator, between the mouths of the river Zaire, in the north,
and the river Cunene in the south and was discovered in 1486 from the  portuguese sailer Diogo Cao.

Angola became independant  on the 11th of November 1975.

Here is a token from the colonial time around 1900.

On the frontside:Fazenda Boa Venturanca
On the reverse: Oliveiras & Ca. Novo Redondo, with a digit "60"

Apparently  Oliveiras & Ca. planted sugarcane
for their own sugar and liquor (Schnaps) factory in Novo Redondo.
(Infos from J.Salgado, Portuguese colonial tokens)

This token is made out of brass and has a diameter of 28 mm.

Salgado/Pascoal : A8

Looking forward to seeing your tokens ! :o

best wishes

Marc

A token a day keeps the Doctor away !

Marcisharki

Hello again  !

today I will present an extremly rare token from Angola. I only know of this one coin ! :o
Unfortunately I have virtually no information about this token, (like most tokens from Angola)
but luckily we have "LEO" and so I could translate the words "Benificencia Publica"
as being "social services" so I presume that it was used in the social or labour welfare
in Loanda, Angola

The token has a diameter of 35 mm, is made out of copper and weighs 8,32 gr.

It is the same token depicted  in the Salgado/Pascoal catalog under "A2"

On the front" Beneficencia Publica Loanda" with the check no.195.
The reverse is blank...


Have a nice evening ! :)

Marcisharki
A token a day keeps the Doctor away !

Figleaf

Quote from: Marcisharki on January 12, 2011, 08:10:08 PM
It is the same token depicted  in the Salgado/Pascoal catalog under "A2"

On the front" Beneficencia Publica Loanda" with the check no.195.
The reverse is blank...

Do you mean the number in Salgado/Pascoal is also 195?

If this token came from Western Europe, I would have a few theories. Now, I have nothing but amazement to offer.

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

andyg

Just speculating,

But could it be a tally, rather than a token?
always willing to trade modern UK coins for modern coins from elsewhere....

Afrasi

Quote from: Figleaf on January 12, 2011, 09:03:25 PM
Do you mean the number in Salgado/Pascoal is also 195? Peter
Yes, #A2 in Salgado's catalogue has number 195, too.

A tally at the Public Welfare I cannot imagine.

As many African banks had their queuing tokens, I think this one will be this kind, too.

andyg

Quote from: Afrasi on January 12, 2011, 09:32:01 PM
Yes, #A2 in Salgado's catalogue has number 195, too.

A tally at the Public Welfare I cannot imagine.

As many African banks had their queuing tokens, I think this one will be this kind, too.

Ahhh I think I understand, "Calling 195 to cashier number four"
always willing to trade modern UK coins for modern coins from elsewhere....

Figleaf

Well, if all the tokens have number 195, it's more likely that it is an office number. It could be good for any service this office of the social agency could render.

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

Marcisharki

Hello Peter,

I dont think that there are more tokens with the same number. This is the original token which is depicted
in Jaime Salgados catalog. I have a few more tokens which have also been used for this catalog (i.e. Cape Verde and
a few tokens which I will be presenting in the next few weeks ;))  I think Afrasi`s idea is also a possibility...

best wishes

Marc
A token a day keeps the Doctor away !

asm

Quote from: Afrasi on January 12, 2011, 09:32:01 PM

As many African banks had their queuing tokens, I think this one will be this kind, too.

We had such queueing tokens in India in the Government owned banks till very recently. A cashier could not leave his desk at the end of the day (which for a cashier was 2 PM though banks would be open till 5.30PM) till all tokens were accounted for.

Amit
"It Is Better To Light A Candle Than To Curse The Darkness"

Marcisharki

Well , here I am again ;)

Here is my next token from Angola.

An aluminium token with a diameter of 30 mm with a hole in the middle.

On the front "Hans Lind, Cambumba" with a blank revers.

Can anybody help ?  :-\

The only thing I found is that Cambumba is a town in Angola and Farm
called "Fazenda Cambumba"which is devoted to agriculture.

Thanks for your ideas !

best wishes

Marcisharki
A token a day keeps the Doctor away !

Figleaf

You come up with some very interesting stuff.

In view of the name of the fazenda, chances are that it is an agricultural token. What I find strange about this token is the nail hole. The token is holed, so it wasn't for stringing. I can think of two possibilities:

- the token was nailed to a post to show people what it looked like. That suggests a truck token: labourers were paid in tokens that could only be spent at the estate shop. Maybe another shop would also accept this token and had one nailed to a post.
- the token was cancelled. This suggests unit wages, maybe for picking, many for transportation.

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

Marcisharki

Thanks for your words Peter, you could be right ! :D

Here are 2 further tokens from Angola.

According to Salgado/Pascoal  both tokens come from an agricultural business company
in Lifune called "La Luinha". Lifune lies about 10 miles west of Catumba, near the west african
coast. Both tokens have a bee on the reverse side - one with Luinha and the other with Lifune.
Why -  I do not know ! ::)

Both tokens have the same dimension of 23 mm and are made out of brass.

best regards

Marc
A token a day keeps the Doctor away !

Figleaf

No doubt you know that the names Lifune and Luinha refer not only to small towns in Angola, but also to the fazendas Alto Lifune and Luinha. Agriculture use seems likely.

On the Luinha token, you can see that the place for the hole was marked, so they were meant to be pierced. They were therefore used in a cycle, where the hole would allow them to be stringed. With the denomination as supporting evidence, I would take them for truck/shop tokens again. Workers would be rewarded with a token for a unit picked with a token that could either be exchanged for real money or be spent in a(n estate) shop.

Good stuff again, Marcisharki!

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

Marcisharki

Good mornig  :D

today I  would like to present my last token from Angola...

It is a 20 Reis token from the Cervejaria Republica de F.A.D., Angola

The  Cervejaria Republica was an old brewery in Luanda. The letters
F.A.D are the initials of the former proprietor - Frederico Almeida Duarte -

This token is made out of copper, weighs 3,61 gr. and has a diameter of 21 mm.

best wishes

Marc
A token a day keeps the Doctor away !