My Fascination with Exonumia: Tokens, Medals, and Hidden Gems

Ever since I first held an old merchant token, I’ve been hooked on exonumia—those fascinating numismatic cousins to coins, like medals, counterstamps, and other oddities. Building my collection over the years has felt like assembling a mosaic of history, with each piece whispering tales of craftsmanship and forgotten moments. Let me walk you through what I’ve discovered, with some hard-won advice from my own collecting adventures.

The Wonderful World Beyond Coins

Exonumia covers everything from trade tokens and military badges to casino chips and even wooden “coins” from collector clubs. What grabs me is how these pieces capture ordinary lives and extraordinary events. Holding a Civil War-era store token or an 18th-century French jeton feels like time travel—you’re literally touching history someone once carried in their pocket.

Treasures From My Collection

Through flea markets, auctions, and trades, I’ve uncovered some real characters. Here are a few that never leave my display case:

• Counterstamps: There’s something magical about coins repurposed with new stamps. I love hunting for variations in those tiny overstrikes—the slight differences tell you so much about the stampers’ world. Grouping them by period or region creates such a rich narrative.
• Medals: My Brooklyn Bridge commemorative medal, with its winged figure soaring over the cables, gives me chills. These artistic tributes to history feel like holding sculpture and story in one hand.
• Encased Coins: These Victorian-era curiosities—coins sealed behind glass or metal—always stop visitors in their tracks. They’re conversation starters that reveal how people valued protection and presentation even back then.
• Casino Tokens & More: Gaming tokens are gateway drugs to exonumia! I’ve got a temperance medal from 1879 that’s wonderfully ironic—a “good behavior” reward that probably funded someone’s saloon visit. You find the best contradictions in these.
• The Truly Odd: Like this copper sheet from Montana’s Anaconda mine—is it exonumia or industrial artifact? And that one fake that fooled me initially? It stays as a reminder that sometimes the story behind a piece matters more than its authenticity.

Hard-Earned Tips for Collectors

After years of learning through mistakes and small victories, here’s what I’d pass along:

• Details Matter: Train your eye on die variations and stamp placements—they’re like fingerprints revealing a piece’s background. With counterstamps, those subtle differences can turn common coins into historical documents.
• Grading Realities: Since grading standards aren’t as strict as for coins, trust your instincts. Look for wear patterns, crisp lettering, and overall preservation. A well-kept token from the 1800s can be more valuable than a banged-up medal from last year.
• Smart Hunting: Wooden nickels and common tokens are perfect for beginners—affordable and plentiful. But if you spot a rare jeton or event medal? Grab it. Their values climb steadily because so few survive. My Civil War token? Tripled in worth since I found it.

Beginning Your Own Journey

Start simple—maybe with casino tokens or local merchant pieces. Coin shows and online auctions are goldmines, but remember: if a deal seems too good, inspect carefully. I always carry a loupe! Choose a theme that excites you, whether it’s railroad tokens or World’s Fair medals. Half the fun is chasing stories, not just objects. So go explore—your next favorite piece is waiting to surprise you.