Help ID small token with "E" on it

Fooleeze · Oct 11, 2019

Today I pulled a little token-like-item out of the ground. It's got a capital "E" on the front of it. The back is just the 'reverse' of the front. What was strange is that this is the second such token I've found, the other I found last year about two miles away from where I found this one. And to make it even more intriguing, both items have a little bend in the edge, and they are pretty much identical.

Has anyone seen this before, can you help me identify it?

Stiffwrists · Oct 11, 2019

I have found one of those too. Never could figure out what it was. :?:

ncplumber · Oct 12, 2019

Those sort of look to me like knockouts out of an electrical panel.

grubber · Oct 12, 2019

ncplumber said:
Those sort of look to me like knockouts out of an electrical panel.

I think you're right.

beest · Oct 12, 2019

Yeah. Devices at fairs often also need(ed) such tokens. And those to have owners marks on them.

ToySoldier · Oct 12, 2019

beest said:
Yeah. Devices at fairs often also need(ed) such tokens. And those to have owners marks on them.

I think that's the most likely purpose. A token operated machine where they didn't want people using slugs. Often unsupervised.

Although, the letter and circle is very similar to the classic subway design for a "T" line or "M" line, etc. I thought perhaps it could be a token that would only work for short trips on an "E" line of a subway system. NYC has one. I couldn't find any subway tokens that matched it, however. They're all the standard flat tokens with cut outs.

Silversmith45 · Oct 12, 2019

I have found them here in Kansas. I don't know what they are either.

HuntinDog · Oct 13, 2019

Those have been found all over the east coast, not so much in the west.
No body has been able to give a positive ID.
Most that I've seen have been in pretty good shape so I'm thinking not that old.
And all have the same little dent in them.
Is the dent in the same location/orientation on the disc??
Could you say what type of ground you found it. (park, TotLot, School...)

beest · Oct 13, 2019

What about these? Compare with the one in this topic.

https://veiling.catawiki.nl/kavels/16587957-oude-bots-auto-munten-35-mm-200-stuks

Coins overhere used for these. On fairs.

Fooleeze · Oct 13, 2019

The 'curve' or dent is not in exactly the same spot. . . one is to the right of the E and the other is more below it. Both of these have been found at old home sites, residential property. Sure would like to know what they are. . . but thank you all for the efforts!

Stiffwrists · Oct 13, 2019

Fooleeze said:
The 'curve' or dent is not in exactly the same spot. . . one is to the right of the E and the other is more below it. Both of these have been found at old home sites, residential property. Sure would like to know what they are. . . but thank you all for the efforts!

Here is the one I found. Similarly "dented". My thought is that it was dented when it was redeemed for something?

Mine was found out west in Utah. I don't recall the exact site.

tomme boy · Oct 14, 2019

If it is out of an electrical panel it should have two burrs opposite of each other.

Fooleeze · Oct 14, 2019

That does not feel like an electrical panel punch out. I mean, it's brass for starters. Seems to 'nice' for something like that.

mysteriousnesss · Oct 14, 2019

The best I can come up with is that E in that context can mean "allowed parking" or in other words free parking. I'm thinking it might have been a nationwide parking meter token of some sort.

SoOregonMd · Oct 14, 2019

I have used and found tokens that are used at the golf course for dispensing balls for the range..
They are irregularly shaped so that the Machine takes ONLY this shape of token as the Coin Slot is shaped the same therefore slugs or quarters etc. would not fit into the machine.. Only a coin with this same shape would fit.

Your item may be of a similar nature.

Voriax · Oct 14, 2019

Well..token shaped like that would not fit in any slot..that dent does not go thru the whole token. So it seems that if you try to make a slot that would accept the bend part, the straight part of the token would stuck.

Voriax

Estima8tor · Oct 14, 2019

ncplumber said:
Those sort of look to me like knockouts out of an electrical panel.

This...

That's why they are all dented - they have been knocked out with a screwdriver.

Stiffwrists · Oct 14, 2019

Estima8tor said:
This...

That's why they are all dented - they have been knocked out with a screwdriver.

I still think the dents are too perfect. Like they were crimped by a tool designed for just them.

matmit · Oct 14, 2019

Having been an electrician for over 30 years, I can assure all of you it is not a knockout. :roll:

beest · Oct 15, 2019

Fooleeze said:
That does not feel like an electrical panel punch out. I mean, it's brass for starters. Seems to 'nice' for something like that.

I agree. I pull back my previous option.

Help ID small token with "E" on it

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