NEW BOOK: A TUNE FOR A TOKEN 2ND EDITION

Welcome to the second edition of A Tune for a Token. The first edition published by the Token and Medal Society won the Publication of the Year Award. The second builds on the first and adds many new things.

The main reason for creating this book in 1975 and updating it now is because I like the thrill of the hunt, to explore the obscure and sometimes unknown. Few specialties are as obscure as these music tokens! I have taken a number of other numismatic byways in my life. My book, The Strange Career of Dr. Wilkins, about a dentist who in the 1850s and 1860s counterstamped hundreds of cents with his name as an advertisement, was fun to research and write and, believe it or not, was well received and sold out. Numismatists seem to like interesting stories. Wilkins was a character deluxe. He also had a restaurant and kept a caged bear in front. He was accused of counterfeiting and also burning down a barn of someone who had crossed his path. Along the same line my Waterford Water Cure book explored the counterstamped coins issued by Dr. Shattuck who operated a clinic or retreat in Waterford, Maine in the 19th century, when the water cure treatment was popular nationwide and was said to cure just about any malady known to mankind. That book also sold out, and John J. Ford, Jr. said it was his favorite of the books I have written over the years.

In the 1960s and 1970s I and others did numismatic research the hard way: by visiting libraries and filling out call slips, by paging through old city directories, by correspondence with other collectors, and other activities—all very pleasurable, but very time-consuming. Today the Internet beckons, and on line I can tap into city directories, town histories, legal actions, and more. Many Good for One Tune tokens have partial information—such as the name of a saloon, but no location, or a street address but no business or city name. Searching on the Internet has enabled me to identify many tokens that were mysterious years ago. Enough questions remain that you as a reader of this book might find more information to add.

Tokens described in this book have many different inscriptions, some describing coin-operated pianos and orchestrions in various locations from The Bowery in New York City to out West in the Cliff House near the entrance to San Francisco Bay. I love the Cliff House and its traditions and have visited the site many times—the new Cliff House built in the early 20th century and the adjacent Sutro Baths amusement facility, not to overlook the nearby Playland at the Beach. From the Whitney family, owners in the 1960s of all three of these establishments, I purchased many coin-operated instruments that had been left over from the "good old days." In this book you will read about the Cliff House and a token once used there. To me if the history is known about a token, medal, coin, or bank note, my interest in it multiplies.

Because of this, when the location of a token can be identified I try to learn about the establishment that issued it. In this book you will read about many such places. One token can lead to enough fascinating information that I could create an article on it for the Token and Medal Society Journal. In the past for the TAMS Journal, The Civil War Token Journal, The Numismatist, Coin World, and other periodicals I have written many articles on interesting varieties of tokens, medals, paper money, and other obscure subjects.

David Schenkman, who consented to write the foreword to this book, has done the same over a long period of years. His contributions to the present text were immense and added much to the listings. He has dealt in various store cards and related tokens since 1960 and supplied most of the rarity and price estimates. A list of his articles on other types of tokens would fill several pages.

I must add that for just about anyone research of this type across many specialties adds up to making numismatics a part of your life. If you read the names of contributors to journals of the various specialized societies you will find people that have been in the field for 10, 20, or more years. The art, science, history, and romance of numismatics are elements of a wonderful field. In contrast, anyone entering numismatics hoping to make a quick profit but finds that within a year or two nothing has happened usually leaves coin collecting forever. Speaking of profit, there is a secret that is not a secret to long-time insiders: a fine collection of tokens carefully formed and held over a period of years has always returned a profit when sold. I know of no exceptions.

I also give a nod to Bill Hyder of the Token and Medal Society who shepherded my book on shell cards through to publication and will be doing the same with this. Among my new friends gained in recent research is Julia H. Casey, who more than any other contributor to the present book tracked down and in many instances furnished information about tokens that would otherwise be listed in appendix 2 (named tokens from unknown locations). John Byars has been a close second in research discoveries. Both have tracked down information that has eluded me for decades.

In 1975 the Token and Medal Society published Dave Bowers' catalog, A Tune for a Token, and I remember being immediately fascinated by the many different tokens he listed. Dave didn't merely compile a catalog; he also discussed automatic musical instruments, and the tokens themselves. I immediately started collecting tune tokens!

One of the things collectors new to the hobby learn early on is the fact that tokens are not easy to find. So, even if cost is not a consideration, building a collection takes time and persistence. Without exception, every one of the tokens cataloged herein is many times rarer than United States coins such as the 1916-D dime and 1877 Indian cent, and most of them are even rarer than the famous 1804 silver dollar. The corollary is that for the price of a Mint State 1916-D dime, of which many hundreds are known, with a lot of patience you can form one of the best tune tokens ever! In contrast, if you want a Mint State 1916-D dime you can buy one on the Internet this afternoon.

Books such as this are never complete. In his 1975 work, Dave cataloged approximately 190 tokens and commented "I believe that the present listing is just the tip of the iceberg and that many more varieties remain to be discovered." How right he was; the book you are holding more than three times that number, and this is even more impressive in view of the fact that the original catalog listed advertising tokens, issued by companies that sold player pianos; they are not included in this edition. Undoubtedly even more varieties are awaiting discovery, and the thrill of finding a previously unknown token is an enjoyable part of the collecting experience. This will happen to you.

If you are just starting to read this book, you are in for a real treat. You'll soon learn that it is much more than just a catalog. Dave has a wonderful way of weaving history and numismatics, and you will find yourself as engrossed in the life and times of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as I was when I read it. In the process you'll learn a lot about tokens and who knows; you just might find yourself as addicted to collecting tune tokens as I was after reading Dave's 1975 study.

For more information on the Token and Medal Society, see:
http://www.tokenandmedal.org/

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