Wishaw Co-operatives
WISHAW CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1889-1955
Wishawtown was laid out in 1794. In the 1830s a distillery was established in the area along with iron production and mining, which was supplemented by manufacturing. This resulted in the local towns growing rapidly. In 1855 the town of Wishaw was cerated as a Police Burgh incorporating Wishawtown, Coltness and Stewarton. Wishaw's boundaries were extended in 1874 to include Cambusnethan and Craigneuk. The Caledonian Railway's main line wpssed through Wishaw in 1848 with a station being opened in 1880.
The first Wishaw Co-operative Society was formed around 1860. It opened branches in other town suchas Larkhall and Shotts. This society had failed by 1870. There were other attempts to form a co-operative during the 1870s. The society that survived is known to have issued tokens was formed in 1889.
The society united with Newmains & Cambusnethan in 1955 to form Wishaw & Newmains. Wishaw & Newmains united to Dalziel in 1971.
Shortly after the Dalziel merger an article was published on the use of the Wishaw tokens based on notes with a collection of Wishaw tokens provided by George Battison[1]. George Battison was appointed assistant secretary of the society in 1923[2]. He bacame secretary of the society in 1932 and managing secretary of Wishaw & Newmains in 1955[3].
"Tin foil" (i.e. plated iron bracteate) tokens were used from 1890 to 1894/95. They were replaced with brass tokens for general purchases and copper tokens marked BUTCHER for butcher's meat. The butcher's meat tokens were issued to allow members to use at a local private butcher's shop to purchase meat - when the society opened it's own butcher's department in 1897 the BUTCHER tokens were used for any purchases. In 1896 a man was fined for assaulting the two check takers at a performance in Wishaw town hall because they refused to accept the old check he offered[4].
Vulcanite tokens were issued in 1901. Celuloid tokens upto a value of 1/- were issued from 1903 (cost 28/- per 1000), with the 5/- value added by 1905. These were all marked DRAPERY as they were intended to be used in the drapery department only. The metal tokens were gradually withdrawn and the drapery tokens used in all departments. So the later issues of celluloid token had no department name. In 1939 the 2/- token was added and the colour of the 3d, to avoid confusion with the 6d, was changed from red to brown. The society decided to stop using tokens in 1943, gradually withdrawing them from March to June.
In 1920 the society had a trial with prepaid coal tokens having a value of 1Cwt. Fluctuations in the price of coal led to them being abandonded.
The tokens were used for purchases in the stores and would have been used for dividend payments. They were not used for recording of sales. The society decided to stop using tokens in 1943, gradually withdrawing them from March to June.
| WISHAW CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:WshawCoop.H.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.H | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 17 | |
| Manufacture | Plated Iron Bracteate | |
| Notes | 1890 to 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1 | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 24 | |
| Manufacture | Plated Iron Bracteate | |
| Notes | 1890 to 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.3.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.3 | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 26 | |
| Manufacture | Plated Iron Bracteate | |
| Notes | 1890 to 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1Sa.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1Sa | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Brass | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1Sb.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1Sb | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | BUTCHER | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Brass | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| WISHAW CO-OPERATIVE SOCY LIMD | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:WshawCoop.Hb.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.Hb | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | BUTCHER | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Copper | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1b.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1b | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | BUTCHER | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Copper | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.3b.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.3b | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | BUTCHER | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Copper | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| WISHAW CO-OPERATIVE SOCY LIMITED | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:WshawCoop.6a.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.6a | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 19 | |
| Manufacture | Brass | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| File:WshawCoop.6b.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.6b | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | BUTCHER | |
| Size (mm) | 19 | |
| Manufacture | Copper | |
| Notes | First issued 1894/95 | |
| WISHAW CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:WshawCoop.Hc.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.Hc | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Pink Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903 | |
| File:WshawCoop.Hd.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.Hd | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Blue Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.1c.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1c | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Turquoise Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1d.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1d | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Blue Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.3c.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.3c | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Dark Red Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903 | |
| File:WshawCoop.3d.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.3d | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Red Plastic | |
| Notes | Middle issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.3e.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.3e | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Dark Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | First issue 1939 | |
| File:WshawCoop.6c.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.6c | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Red Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903 | |
| File:WshawCoop.6d.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.6d | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Red Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.6e.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.6e | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue? | |
| File:WshawCoop.1Sc.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1Sc | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Cream Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903 | |
| File:WshawCoop.1Sd.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1Sd | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | White Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.2Sd.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.2Sd | |
| Value | 2/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Purple Plastic | |
| Notes | First issue 1939 | |
| File:WshawCoop.5Sc.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.5Sc | |
| Value | 5/- | |
| Add Desc. | DRAPERY | |
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Very Dark Blue Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1903/05 | |
| File:WshawCoop.5Sd.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.5Sd | |
| Value | 5/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Blue Plastic | |
| Notes | Last issue | |
| File:WshawCoop.1Cwtd.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WshawCoop.1Cwtd | |
| Value | 1 CWT | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 32 | |
| Manufacture | Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | First issued 1920 | |
