Viewpoint: Collect something new in 2014

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By Billy W. Campbell

The article by Ginger Rapsus in the Jan. 7 issue of Numismatic News really grabbed my attention.

As usual, when Numismatic News arrives I read just about everything in it, because so much of it applies in some way to a hobby I’m interested in and enjoy.

Coal Scrip of West Virginia (or any of the other 36 states that used Coal Scrip) is an excellent example of something new that readers might consider collecting.

There are many ways to collect coal scrip. A popular method, for example, is by town, county or state of issue. Pictorials and tokens picturing things such as coal cars, miners, animals, etc. are also very popular, as are tokens of bimetallic composition and Ingle System scrip. There is much to choose from, since metal scrip was first issued in the 1860s, and was used until about 1953. Paper scrip was issued as early as the 1820s.

In 1972 a group of numismatics concerned with researching and preserving this aspect of America’s industrial history formed The National Scrip Collectors Association, Inc. Since that time the organization has published two catalogs of coal scrip; one for just West Virginia scrip, and the other for the scrip of all other states.

This year, the fourth edition of Edkins Catalogue of United States Coal Company Store Scrip Vol. I and Vol. II will be published, each listing more than 8,000 tokens. A feature of the new West Virginia catalog is mintage figures for tokens struck by the Ingle-Schierloh Company, a major manufacturer of coal tokens. A catalog of explosive tokens has also been published.

The collecting of coal company scrip is fascinating, addictive and best of all, affordable.

To learn more about our hobby, I encourage you to join the National Scrip Collectors Association. Members receive our newsletter, and also receive discounts on our catalogs.

To learn more, visit our website: www.nationalscripcollectors.org.

This “Viewpoint” was written by Billy W. Campbell, president of the National Scrip Collectors Association.

Viewpoint is a forum for the expression of opinion on a variety of numismatic subjects. To have your opinion considered for Viewpoint, write to David C. Harper, Editor, Numismatic News, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Send email to david.harper@fwmedia.com.