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Obverse Design
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The legend "WING CHONG" curves along the top. The legend "YUEN & CO."
is displayed across the middle of the token.
There are scroll-like ornaments above and below this legend.
The legend "COLON."
curves along the bottom.
The token has denticles along the edge and a smooth plain raised edge.
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Reverse Design
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The legend "VALUE" curves along the top. The legend "CENTS."
curves along the bottom.
In the center is a large number 5 with rays coming
out from it. By my count, there are a total of 48 rays - eight of the longest
ones, eight medium size rays, and two shorter rays on either side of each
long and medium-size ray.
The token has denticles along the edge and a smooth plain raised edge.
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Metal
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White metal, probably copper-nickel.
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Size and Shape
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Round, 20 mm in diameter.
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Dates Issued
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Unknown, but before 1908. Perhaps issued in the mid-1880's.
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Issurer
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Wing Chong Yuen and Company.
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Mintage
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Unknown.
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Rarity
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Common.
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Manufacturer
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Unknown.
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Source
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Asociación Numismático's F-298 (photo), Bernal #377,
Eklund #1072 (photo), Henkle's Colon #47 (photo), Plumer page #10,
Rulau's Col 70, Schimmel #21, Scott page #58 and
Ulex Auction Catalog (1908) part of Lot #2241.
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Varieties
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There are three known different WING CHONG YUEN & CO. token designs, two uniface and
one with a design on both sides. There is also a WING CHUNG YUEN (note the middle
name is CHUNG, not CHONG). That token is both uniface and incuse, similar to
the A. GROSSO COLON Y CHAGRE token.
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Function
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Merchant token.
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Population Count
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Twenty (20) specimens of this token in collector hands are known to me.
Recent sales include:
- Auction sale on eBay on January 8, 2003 for $32 plus $1.25 shipping.
- Auction sale on eBay on November 22, 2002 for $30 plus $2 shipping.
- Auction sale on eBay on April 1, 2002 for $41.50 plus $2 shipping.
- Auction sale by Jerry Schimmel on September 16, 2001 for $25 in condition VG.
- Auction sale on eBay on June 19, 2001 for $30 plus $4 shipping.
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Notes
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This is the most sophisticated of the three varieties
due to the regular
lettering and having a design on both the obverse and reverse.
The radiant 5 was a design which was also used on two Colon tokens known
to be from the 1880's, so this token may be from that same era.
However WING CHONG YUEN and CO. does not appear in
the Commercial Directory of the American Republics (1897-1898), so
the firm may have been defunct by 1897.
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