Sally J. writes: Please give me some info on this coin – it is a coin from Goldfield Nevada. On the back side is printed Rebate Chick 2 1/2 cents (cents not spelled out) and The Den W.A. Schabe Prop. On the front it looks like a pic. of Geo. Washington. The coin appears to be made of brass.
You have what collectors call a “Store Card”. These were tokens that were good for merchandise or had monetary value at the place that issued the token. The “rebate” token was a motivation for the customer to return and use his token against future purchases. Store Cards were used at various times in American History, sometimes to take the place of coins when they were in short supply during depression (1830 -1840’s), Civil War (1861-65) or for simply for advertising purposes.
Token salesman from foundries or private mints sold tokens to the store owner with his name on one side and a standard reverse on the other. Standard reverses might have been chosen from a book of designs. Washington was a popular choice. I think this might be 20th century token. Rough estimate of value: $10-$35.
