BRIANSK, telephone token, early 1990s
$5.00
RUSSIA, BRIANSK, telephone token, no date (early 1990s), no legend either side, stamped slot, steel, 19mm, K671, XF
10 in stock
Description
After the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 there were a couple of years of economic anarchy, during which all sorts of local tokens appeared. Enough local transit and telephone tokens were made that catalogs were made for them. The “K” number refers to one of several catalog booklets written by A. Kozhara.
A token is used like a coin but is not a coin. Rather, it stands for a coin without the value of the coin. Maybe its copper, but says its value is the same as a silver coin. Usually tokens were made privately, but sometimes governments got involved.
The word “exonumia” is used to describe all kinds of things that are “like” coins but are not coins.I wrote a blog post on that subject. Basic categories: 1. used like a coin but not issued by a national government, 2. looks like a coin but not made for spending, 3. other things that we are interested in.
