Obverse Design
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All lettering is incused.
Line along the left edge "ENGINEERING &".
Line along the right edge "CONSTRUCTION".
Line along the bottom edge "DEPARTMENT".
In the middle in larger letters are two lines. The first line is "I.C.C.".
The second line is the employee number ("1205" in the example above).
The third line says "DEPARTMENT".
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Reverse Design
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Blank.
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Metal
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Brass
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Size and Shape
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Triangle shape with rounded corners. 48 mm wide by 33 mm high.
One small round hole in the top.
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Dates Issued
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Unknown. These may have been id checks locally made and issued before the
Diamond shaped Isthmian Canal Commission checks (which were issued starting in
August 1905), or they may have been tool checks issued anytime between 1904 and
1914.
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Issurer
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Isthmian Canal Commission, Engineering and Construction Department.
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Numbers Issued
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Pieces include #720 and #1205.
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Rarity
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Very Rare.
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Manufacturer
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Unknown, but perhaps locally made.
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Other Catalog Numbers
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Hamlin's ICC-41, Rulau's CZ B74.
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Varieties
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None known.
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Function
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These may have been early employee id checks, before the general issuing of
metal checks in August, 1905. They may also have been tool checks, or even
used to track other equipment. I would appreciate
e-mail from anyone who can add anything to the history of these metal checks.
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Population Count
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Two specimens of this variety of metal check in collector hands are known to me.
Recent sales include:
- Check #1250 - Auction sale on ebay on February 6, 2007 for $252.49 in VF condition.
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