Useful Links for CTs

Here are some web links that I have found helpful.

First, I have listed some links that are chock-full of information about CTs.

1. David Powell's wonderful article entitled, Communion Tokens of the British Isles, is a must read. It is one of several articles included as part of the London Numismatic Club website.  His article contains a succinct but comprehensive overview of the Scottish CTs. He includes many sharp photos of CTs -- what a nice collection he has! This site helped get me started, as it explores many of the regional variations that spice up the series. Find his article at: http://www.mernick.org.uk/lnc/DPowell/CommunionTokens.htm .
2. David Powell is also the editor of an interesting on-line journal entitled, the Leaden Tokens Telegraph (LLT). This journal, like the article described above, is excellent. The topics explore a wide range of lead tokens that were apparently quite common in the UK during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These tokens include crude pieces used as counters for farm work and other such purposes. If you are like me, you will find yourself reading about them. Overall, the articles contained in the LLT provide a broader context for the use of leaden CTs. There are many articles on CTs too; some issues have a special section devoted to them called the CT Corner. Find the LLT at:  http://www.mernick.org.uk/leadtokens/ .
3. There is a great article on the Coin Library website entitled, Communion Tokens of Pennsylvania. The author provides an overview of CTs in general before exploring the many tokens used in Pennsylvania. The format of the article follows his personal quest to find a CT from the church in his hometown -- namely, the United Presbyterian Church of Tarentum. Of course, like most true collectors, he broadens the scope of his collection to other towns in the keystone state. His photos are excellent -- it is not easy to find nice photos of American CTs. Find this article at:  http://www.coinlibrary.com/wpns/club_wpns_pr_communion.htm .
4. David Murray provides a good description of the events leading up to the communion service in an article entitled, The Scottish Communion Season. His article is located on The Westminster Presbyterian site. You might be surprised to discover that the communion service was the culmination of several days of preparation, typically starting on Thursday and ending on Monday. Here you will find a day-by-day overview to help you appreciate how deliberative the whole process was in an era when a church steeple unified every village. Find this article at: http://www.westminsterconfession.org/worship/the-scottish-communion-season.php .

Second, I have listed some links to help you find CTs and find CT books to purchase. It is not easy to find fixed price lists for CTs, as few dealers routinely stock them. Nonetheless, a few of the larger exonumia dealers have some on hand; plus, I have found a few foreign coin dealers that have some to sell from time to time. All told, Ebay and auction houses (most of them in the UK) are the best places to find tokens.

1. Steven Hayden is an exonumia dealer who has a large website dedicated primarily to civil war and hard times tokens. However, he sells many other types of tokens as well. He has a page of CTs for sale on his site at attractive prices. I have purchased many CTs from him and can attest to his professionalism. He is pleasant and willing to send you CTs on approval once you have established yourself. Find his CT page at:  http://civilwartokens.com/communion_tokens.htm .
2. Rich Hartzog is an exonumia dealer who has a comprehensive website with 100s of books and exonumia material. I purchased a book about Pennsylvanian CTs from him a while back. We subsequently exchanged several emails about my book; he was very supportive and went out of his way to provide thoughtful comments. He has occasionally offered a few hard-to-find CT books, such as Bason's work on American CTs, so you can get these from him if you keep a lookout or tell him to do so. I already have Bason, so I passed: it might still be available! Find his exonumia site at:  http://www.exonumia.com/ .

*Please note that these links are some of my favorites. There are other engaging sites out there that offer very cool photos and factoids. Part of the fun of collecting CTs is for you to discover these historical tidbits! This is a wide-open area -- it really is! Also, do not forget that most parish churches can be found on the Internet. Most of these churches are treasured by their communities; as such, the churches have "friends" who are preserving them. This means that you can hunt for information (including images and maps) about a specific parish church that you have a CT from. I will warn you however, it is not always easy to identify which church goes with which token, but with diligence, you will find something!