Do You Remember This Cigar Store Token From Burley?

Here's some history for you. Do you remember when you would exchange a token for a cigar in Burley? If so, I found an original token on Ebay that may bring back memories.

If you're not familiar with how trade tokens used to work, the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association has details.

About 1885, merchants all over the United States started using a form of advertising called a trade token (or chit, or bingle, or "good for"). When a customer bought something, they were given a token that resembled a coin. On the obverse, the token gave such information as the name of the business, address, town, state, etc. On the reverse, something like "good for 5¢ in trade" or "good for 1 cigar" were often used. When the customer returned to the store, they were given credit or their purchase was discounted by the amount stated on the token.

There is no mention in this listing of how old this token is. If you're old enough to remember that era, do you have a guess at how old this token might be? Inquiring minds want to know.

The seller is asking $26 for it. Check out the full listing if you want to know more.