It is no secret that I collect coins. But I also collect exonumia. To clarify, coins are legal tender usually issued by a government. “For all debts public and private.” Exonumia are coin like things that are not legal tender. Think a Chuck-e-cheese game token, challenge coin, or a poker chip. They are only “good for” one thing or in one place. One type of exonumia I collect is coal scrip. Scrip is a special currency issued by coal companies to pay their workers redeemable only at the company store. Like all coins they are tiny pieces of art and history that tell a story. The story of scrip is a story of exploitation, labor, and struggle. Below are a few pieces I picked up recently.
Valley Camp Stores Company scrip.
This piece was good for use at Valley Camp Stores Company. They operated in Ohio County, West Virginia in the the Panhandle coal field. I know they had a company store in Triadelphia, WV, but I also think Valley Camp also operated in Pennsylvania. This is an example of a one cent piece.
The inverse of the Valley Camp Scrip piece. “Payable in merchandise only” “Non transferable”
Panther Coal Company scrip. Panther, West Virginia.
This piece from Panther, West Virginia captivates the imagination. Panther Coal operated in the Williamson Coalfield in the McDowell area. You can see the panther holding a fish in her mouth.
Inverse of the Panther Coal token. “Good for 1.00 in merchandise”
Clover Fork Coal Co. Kitts, KY.
This last piece is my first example of Kentucky scrip. The flower shape really jumped out at me. My guess is the clover shape was meant to evoke the name of the company. Clover Fork Coal Co operated from 1914-1958 in Kitts Kentucky a little bit east of Harlan.
The inverse of the Clover Fork Token. “Good for 25 in merchandise only”