Obverse Design
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"4TH CO. CAC"
(4th Company Coast Artillery Corps) curves along the top.
The center has an ornament of two arrows pointing at a center circle.
"FORT GRANT." curves along the bottom. There is a circle of small beads near
the rim.
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Reverse Design
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"GOOD FOR" curves along the top. Large "5¢" is in the center with a vertical
cent sign.
"IN TRADE" curves along the bottom. There is a circle of small beads near
the rim.
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Metal
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Aluminum.
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Weight
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Unknown.
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Size and Shape
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Round, 24 mm in diameter.
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Dates Issued
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Sometime between 1914 and 1924.
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Issuer
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Fort Grant, a subpost of Fort Amador, and built on canal fill and three former islands
in Panama Bay.
Fort Amador opened in 1913 as Fort Grant, and was
renamed for Panama's first President. Ex-President Amador died on May 2, 1909,
just a few months after the end of his term in office. The Fort Grant name
was then used to refer to the causeway and three fortified islands adjacent
to Fort Amador. Flamenco Island was the last and largest of the three island
and the site of a major coast artillery battery. Over time the causeway
islands ceased being referred to as Fort Grant.
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Mintage
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Unknown.
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Rarity
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Very Rare.
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Manufacturer
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Unknown.
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Source
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Cunningham's CZ210.
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Varieties
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This is the only known variety. There is a dot inside the bottom of the "5"
on the reverse.
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Function
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Perhaps a post exchange token.
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Population Count
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Two specimens in collector hands are known to me.
I do not know of any recent sales.
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Notes
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On the 14th of August, 1901 this unit was constituted in the Regular Army as the
116th Company, Coast Artillery, Artillery Corps. It was organized on August 17th
at Fort Screvin, Georgia, where it was stationed until July, 1916. At that time
the unit was redesignated the 4th Co. CAC and stationed at Fort Grant. On June 30th, 1922
the unit was redesigned to its original name as the 116th Co. CAC.
On July 1, 1924 it was reorganized
and redesignated as Battery "A", 65th Coast Artillery.
Form this we see that the token must have been issued between 1916 and 1922.
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