Explosive Control Tokens

Explosive control tokens have long been collected along with coal mine company store scrip. However, they are not actually scrip. They were issued for a specific purpose and could not be used to purchase general merchandise at coal mine company stores. Rather, they played an important and practical role in the issuance of explosives. The system was very simple. When a miner needed explosives he was given (or sold) tokens with an appropriate "good for" value (for example, "Good For One Stick Powder"). He took these to the place where explosives were stored and there the tokens were redeemed. If he needed detonating devises, fuses, etc., he had to go to another location as, for safety reasons, explosives and detonation devices were never stored at the same place.

Explosive control tokens are collected in several ways. Some collectors are only interested in pieces from a certain state, and usually save the along with all other tokens or scrip from that state. For other, the goal is to obtain one token from each issuing company.

This definitive book on the subject of exploder tokens has sections on the metals and compositions used to make the tokens; sizes and shapes; valuations; token manufacturers; counterfeits, restrikes and fantasies; and includes a cross reference to the Edkins catalog numbers where appropriate.
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Publication Date: 1989
Size: 6x9
Pages: 140