NEW BOOK: VIRGINIA TOKENS, 2ND EDITION

In 1980, David Schenkman’s   Virginia Tokens was the first work to document the trade tokens from the Commonwealth and helped set the standard for state token catalogs nationwide. Now, thirty-five years later, the second revised edition is ready. Tokens in Virginia have a long and distinguished history and offer the exonumist a wide spectrum of specialties. From Hard Times store cards, transportation tokens dating back to the 1860s, coal scrip, to trade tokens and picker’s checks,   Virginia Tokens seeks to document the many varied aspects of exonumia throughout the state in a convenient and easy to use format. With nearly 6,000 different tokens listed from roughly 2,250 different merchants located in approximately 770 towns, the new 2015 revision more than doubles the number of known listings from the original catalog.

The revised second edition includes an expanded introduction that features a history of tokens in Virginia, as well as details on several of the principal token manufacturers. In addition, tips on collecting will benefit both long-time specialists as well as novices to the field. The catalog also features hundreds of full color illustrations throughout of not only the tokens but also related images that add to the historical interest and flavor of the pieces. Rounding out the book is a comprehensive index of merchants that will help collectors to quickly identify mavericks.

In addition to Virginia Tokens, David E. Schenkman has authored seven other token catalogs including Merchant Tokens of Washington, D.C., Maryland Merchant Tokens, and in 2009 West Virginia Merchant Tokens, all of which have become standard works. Schenkman has been a prolific writer throughout his numismatic career, serving as editor of the Token and Medal Society’s TAMS Journal from 1982 to 2010, a task that included editing all the books published by that organization during that time. The second edition of   Virginia Tokens continues in this fine tradition of ground-breaking research and will no doubt become an influential work on merchant tokens for years to come.

The catalog is scheduled to be available for sale at the Virginia Numismatic Association’s 57th Convention & Coin Show to be held September 25th through the 27th, 2015 at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. The book is priced at $75 with a discount for VNA members. For more information on the Convention and book ordering, please contact the Virginia Numismatic Association or visit VNA’s website at www.vnaonline.org .

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