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The item in the image is a vintage 50-cent U.S. trade token, a type of alternative currency or coupon issued by private businesses, general stores, saloons, or lumber and mining operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Key Characteristics & InformationPurpose: These tokens were given to customers as change, credit advances, or part of regular payroll to ensure money was spent directly back at the issuing merchant or company store.
Design Elements: The token features the raised text "50 IN TRADE" stamped on the face, indicating its face value of 50 cents.
The Hole: The small puncture near the bottom was often a deliberate modification done by a merchant or owner to thread the coin onto a wire, ring, or stringing system for easy storage and counting.
