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E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
ARTICLE RECOUNTS TOWN'S SEARCH FOR PARKING TOKEN CLUES
An E-Sylum reader forwarded this article - readers may appreciate the difficulties (and rewards) in researching decades-old numismatic items. He writes:This article in a local newspaper about a "coin" being
donated to a tiny town in Michigan is interesting if nothing else for the
steps it took to uncover the items' true origin.
The gift of a coin from a man in Virginia to the City of Farmington Hills created a lot of questions about what happened here.
The coin, about the size of a quarter, says "Good for parking only" on one side. On the other side is written Federal APD, Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Did Farmington Hills ever have a parking lot?
Clyde Pitchford, of Franklin, Va., found the token in his late father's coin box. He speculated it was from his father's Navy days, 1939-60. This would make the little coin an antique.
However, Farmington Hills didn't incorporate until 1973, 35 years ago.
There was a Federal's Department Store in downtown Farmington.
The History Room at the Farmington Library had directories which revealed the answers.
Federal Products in 1977 was located on Indoplex Circle in Farmington Hills. They manufactured gauges. Jack Longlais was the manager.
Before 1989, the listing was for Federal APD on Crestview Court. By 2004, Federal APD moved to Nine Mile Road in Novi.
A call to Federal APD in Novi revealed that APD referred to advance parking devices.
Rodney Hoover, advertising manager, never remembered making gauges in Farmington Hills. They make parking devices.
The coin was from a trade show and used for advertising.
Clyde Pitchford picked a good time to send this artifact to Farmington Hills, because the city is planning a small historical museum at Heritage Park.
The coin will find a place in Farmington Hills history.
To read the complete article, see: Digging for answers on mystery coin (http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20081123/LIFE/811230355)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
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