Patman54 Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Does anyone know what these are? So far everyone has been very helpful and a wealth of information and some fun too. The 2 bigger ones are about a 1/2 " And the smallest ones about 5/16th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Bill347 Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 My guess is pickers tags. They were awarded for picking goals in fields. Like a bushel of beans equals 1 pickers coin, which could be used to buy food. They were drilled to allow stringing around ones neck. In the early 20th century, produce growers often kept track of workers' production by giving them “pickers tokens,” with each token representing a certain amount of produce picked. Typical of these were strawberry pickers tokens, writes Jeff Starck in the “Tokens to Collect” column in the Nov. 26 issue of Coin World.Nov 9, 2018 just MHO but look for pickers tokens or Pickers check tokens. Some can be of value. https://www.worthpoint.com/dictionary/p/coins-currency/paper-scrip/pickers-checks That’s the best I can do. Alex in PA. and Cash mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patman54 Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 I would say that is a good start thank you for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWB Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 (edited) It would help if you turned off "image compression" so that we can see all the detail. I am not convinced they started out as pickers tokens - there are no numbers or other identification. Are they brass or something heavier? Edited May 18, 2021 by RWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patman54 Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 They are very thin and all of them together weigh .51 g Cash mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWB Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Hmmmm. Odd they would all have the same weight - esp the one with the red string attached. Probably brass, but they have die struck designs visible in spots. Possibly small coins from middle east or SE Asia....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldhoopster Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 It looks like it could be an Ottoman Tughra. They could be low grade silver coins that were holed and sewn onto clothing, or even imitation metal disks made to look like coins (but my wild guess is they are real). I don't have much expertise in Islamic coins, so I wouldn't be able to ID something in that condition. It's possible they could be some other Islamic or Indian issue as well. Due to the condition, they probably aren't worth very much unless you can attribute it to a rare type. Not your coins, but something to give you an idea on my line of thinking. Found these by searching "Tughra" in Numista.com. Hope this can be of help Cash mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patman54 Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 I think you are on to something. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKK Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 (edited) Perplexing. The dot style is very indicative of post-1700 Afghan stuff, but I can't make out any clear Arabic -script. I also know of no coins from that era that are so tiny and thin. That might be a little text at the top of the one with the red cord through the hole; if so, that coin is upside down. Just might be MH!MD, the name of Muhammad. That's on a pretty sizable percentage of Islamic coinage. My guess is they might be some form of civic tokens. There are a lot of uncatalogued Afghan civic coppers but they are all much thicker than these. A second possibility is mosque tokens. If you really want to find these suckers, it's time to make a full pot of coffee and start shoveling through xeno.ru. Not as well organized as MWI (the best overall reference, which cost me a f-bombing kidney), and has some duplication, but there it is. My advice is to put in your mind the most distinguishing visible features and filter on those and size. That would be the border dots on a couple, and the crescent shape with a straight line aimed into it on the first pic. Edited May 19, 2021 by JKK Cash mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
