Metal Checks Catalog (CK)
Catálogo de Fichas de Identificación
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Below is a catalog or list of all known metal checks relating to either Panama or the Canal Zone. There are certainly more out there. Please me if you have information regarding a piece which was not included in this catalog. Summary Metal Checks refers to small numbered pieces of metal, many of which were issued as "identification cards" for employees of the Isthmian Canal Commission, Panama Canal, Panama Railroad Company or other enterprise. These metal checks were needed by an employee to receive their pay, and to authorize them to use certain restricted facilities such as a commissary (grocery and department store). Other metal checks were tool checks to keep track of tools, dogs, hunting permits, etc. These pieces of metal are usually about the size of a silver dollar (or Balboa) and come in various shapes. They almost always have a hole or loop to make them easy to attach. They are generally made of brass. Historical Background Most of the metal checks in this catalog were created in connection with the Panama Canal. The Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC) was the part of the U.S. Government responsible for building the canal. The ICC was ended in 1914 with the completion of the canal. Between 1914 and 1950, the official agencies were The Panama Canal and the Panama Railroad (PRR). The Panama Railroad was part of the property acquired by the U.S. from the French, but operated as a separate entity until 1950. In 1950 the Canal organization was reorganized by Congress, establishing the Panama Canal Company (the Canal operating organization) and the Canal Zone Government (the Zone government organization). The Panama Railroad was incorporated into the Panama Canal Company. Many of the other metal check-issuing companies were independent contractors working on building the canal. The reason for the employee id metal checks was explained as follows by Stella Nida in her book Panama and Its "Bridge of Water":
Farnham Bishop's explanation in Panama Past and Present is:
The following quote is taken from an article by Eugene Hamlin, Jr. titled "Canal Zone Brass Checks" which appeared in The Panama Collector (September, 1985):
David McCullough in his book The Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870 - 1914 gives the following account. On July 26, 1905, John Stevens arrived to take over as Chief Engineer of the construction. With him was Theodore Shonts, Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission. They spoke with the the governor of the Canal Zone, Charles Magoon. Shonts asked: "Governor, what's the matter here?" Governor Magoon explained the food supply problem. Shonts said commissaries must be established immediately, to feed the men at cost. When Governor Magoon responded that that would be a violation of an agreement with Panama, Shonts responded "...it's evident that you haven't heard the news... I've come down here to build the canal..." And shortly after that the commissaries were built. But it is unclear the exact point that the metal checks started being used in 1904 or 1905. However, it is known that the Isthmian Canal Commission diamond-shaped checks (such as CK-2.1) were first issued in August, 1905 (which would have been when the commissaries were established). Harry A. Franck worked for the Isthmian Canal Commission from January through June of 1912, and wrote the book Zone Policeman 88. He describes a scene at Gatun where a pay traincar arrived loaded with Panamanian silver. Workmen of many different nationalities, ethnicities and languages lined up, jingling their brass checks as they waited to collect their pay. Here is a similar scene in Colon: 
Workmen Waiting in Line at the Paycar - Colon, Republic of Panama Franck worked first as a census enumerator and then as a Zone Policeman. He reports being issued a new brass check upon making that job change. Once Franck uses the phrase "..not worth his brass check" about a lazy workman. Franck mentions needing coupons (bought only with a payroll deduction, and not available to non-employees) to use the commissaries and hotels, but does not mention the brass checks in that connection. Finally, talking about the death on the job of a "gold" (white American) employee, Franck says:
Numbering System: The Employee ID Checks have been designated with the letters "CK", and grouped by issurer. Each group is given a unique number. Within each group, each piece is given a unique number. So the first piece is CK-1.1 for Employee ID Check group 1 piece 1. Click on the catalog number or description below to go to the full listing for that piece.
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