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Tokens 1Origins and use of tokens
Article Nº 1449 Trade, money and prices Vol. II · pp. 51–54 7 min read

Tokens

Original title: Fichas

Entry on the private tokens (fichas or tentos) issued by Madeiran merchant houses, clubs and institutions from 1793 onwards to supply small change and pay carters, reproducing Carlos da Silva Carvalho's 1908 catalogue of known issues.

Tokens

1Origins and use of tokens

The Almanach de lembranças Madeirense for the year 1908 published an article entitled ‘Fichas Madeirenses’, written by our fellow Madeiran Dr Carlos da Silva Carvalho, an official of the Lisbon Customs House (Alfândega de Lisboa). With due acknowledgement we transcribe it below, since it is the most complete work on the subject known to us:

Tokens (fichas or tentos) are so closely bound up with the commercial development of this island – whether used to make change easier at times when small coin was scarce, or to pay the ox-cart drivers and wine-skin carriers for their haulage, who at the end of each week exchanged them for current money – that we consider a brief account of those substitutes now known to be of some interest. It enlarges a survey published some time ago in the Diario de Noticias of this city.

The earliest known tokens date from the end of the 18th century, and, it is to his credit, it was a Madeiran, the merchant J. F. Esmeraldo, who first introduced them into fiduciary circulation. Other commercial houses subsequently took advantage of the same benefits, such as Vicente d'Oliveira & Companhia, Phelps, Page & C.°, Colson, Smith & Robinson, Diogo Adams, etc.

Little by little their use became widespread, and today it is rare to find a commercial house of any importance, or a club where gambling takes place, that has not struck them. The public places such confidence in these little pieces of brass, copper, zinc and even tinplate that almost everyone accepts them, sure that they represent money. Witness the curious tokens of the Count of Calçada (‘paved way’), Diogo d'Ornelas Frazão (a seal on sealing wax, D. O. F., and the value), which circulate among the numerous stewards of that same opulent house in the town (vila) of Calheta (‘small cove’).

Besides the list we publish below, we know that many other houses struck them, but neglect and the greedy crucibles of the foundries have left us no trace of them.

2Catalogue of known tokens

1 – 1793 – João Francisco Esmeraldo, 50, 100 and 200 réis (the Portuguese money of account before 1911; 1,000 réis = 1 mil-réis, 1,000,000 réis = 1 conto) in brass. Extremely rare, as only three examples are known, one of each. 2 – 1799 – Vicente d'Oliveira e Companhia. 40, 50, 80 and 100 réis in copper. They are common and are still in use at the house of Messrs Francisco da Costa & Filhos, with the exception of the 80-réis token, the only known example of which was some time ago presented by the Most Excellent Father Ernst Schmitz to a museum abroad. 3 – 1802 – 1. W. Phelps e Companhia – 40, 50 and 100 in copper. Rare. 4 – 1803 – Phelps, Page & Companhia – 40, 50 and 100 réis in copper. Rare.

There is an error on some of the 100-réis tokens, which bear ‘cincoenta reis’ (fifty réis) on the obverse. The only two known examples belong to the Most Excellent Messrs Father Ernst Schmitz and H. Hempel.

  1. 5 1804 – Colson, Smith e Robinson – 40, 50 and 100 réis in copper. Exceedingly rare.
  2. 6 1815 – Thaumaturgo de Souza Drummond – 20 réis, 50 réis (3 varieties), 75, 100 (3 varieties) and 200 réis (3 varieties), in zinc, current in the parish (freguesia) of São Vicente. They were discovered by the Most Excellent Mr H. Hempel, who was kind enough to present me with a complete series. All are exceedingly rare.
  3. 7 1816 – João Antonio de Bianchi – 50, 60, 80 and 100 réis in copper; uncommon.
  4. 8 1831 – Diogo Adams & Companhia – 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 réis in copper, very finely struck. Common.
  5. 9 1840 – Blandy Brothers & Cº. – 50, 100, 200, 240 and 300 réis in brass, still in circulation.
  6. 10 1841 – Diogo d'Ornelas Frazão (later Viscount and Count of Calçada), 100 and 200 réis, a sealing-wax seal on card, current at the sugar mill (engenho) of the town of Calheta. Uncommon.
  7. 11 1842 – Administration of the Commercial Capstan (Administração do Cabrestante do Commercio) – 80 réis in six varieties. Zinc. Uncommon.
  8. 12 1855 – Carlo de Bianchi – 100 réis in tinplate. Exceedingly rare. A single example in the possession of the Most Excellent Mr Hempel.
  9. 13 Torreão (‘turret’) Factory (W. Hinton & Sons) – 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500 and 600 réis in brass, still in circulation.
  10. 14 1876 – Funchal Customs House – 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 200, 250, 300 and 400 réis in brass, still in circulation.
  11. 15 1884 – Fenay & Irmãos. F. 1. Countermark on those of no. 3. F. 1. Countermark on those of no. 4; the same error exists on some of the 100-réis tokens. F. 1. Countermark on those of no. 5. These last are exceedingly rare.
  12. 16 1887 – Manuel Ferreira Cabral, 50 and 100 réis in zinc. Rare.
  13. 17 1888 – Viúva de Romano Gomes & Filhos, with no indication of value, in tinplate.
  14. 18 1889 – A. Izidro Gonçalves, with no indication of value, in lead.
  15. 19 1890 – Luiz Gomes da Conceição, with no indication of value, two varieties in tinplate.
  16. 20 1892 – Francisco Rodrigues & Companhia, with no indication of value, in zinc.
  17. 21 1896 – Dom Erminio Pojal – 1 token in vermeil with no indication of value, circulating as the 500-réis one; 1 of 100 réis in nickel; 1 of 100 réis in vermeil; 1 with no indication of value in aluminium, circulating for 3,600 réis.
  18. 22 1896 – the Funchal Club (Club Funchalense). 1, 2, 5, 10, representing 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 réis, in ivory. Rare.
  19. 23 1897 – Krohn Brothers & C.a – 40, 100, 150, 200, 240 and 500 réis in brass.
  20. 24 1898 – William J. Krohn – 100 and 200 réis, in aluminium.
  21. 25 1898 – Almeida & Companhia. 24 varieties with no indication of value, but with numbers indicating the quantity of milk supplied to the Adegas (‘wine cellars’) factory at Ponta do Sol (‘point of the sun’), in tinplate.
  22. 26 1899 – Confraternity of St Vincent de Paul – 50 réis in silvered aluminium. A very beautiful design.
  23. 27 1899 – José Fernandes d'Azevedo – 60, 100, 120, 150, 200 and 250 réis, in tinplate. Uncommon.
  24. 28 1901 – Casino of Quinta Vigia (‘lookout estate’) – 200 réis in silver.
  25. 29 1901 – the Restoration Club (Club Restauração) – 100, 200 and 500 réis, in aluminium; 100, 200, 250, 500 and 1,000 réis in bone.
  26. 30 1901 – Cory's Madeira Coaling Company Limited – 2 varieties with no indication of value (in copper); 1 with no indication of value, in aluminium.
  27. 31 1902 – Cossart Gordon & Companhia. 50, 100 and 200 réis in nickel; 50, 100, 200 and 500 réis in brass.
  28. 32 1902 – Wilson Sons & Company Limited, with no indication of value, in brass.
  29. 33 1903 – Club Recreio Musical – 50, 100, 200, 250, 500 and 1,000 réis in silvered aluminium. Superb engraving.
  30. 34 1903 – John Payne & Sons (successors to Martin-Wartemberg). With values in German: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Pfennigs, in brass. Likewise 1, 3, 10, 30, 50 and 100 Pfennigs in aluminium.
  31. 35 1904 – Luiz Augusto da Silva Carvalho. L A S C. 120 réis: countermark on the 40, 50, 60 and 80 réis of no. 8. L A S C. 200 réis: countermark on the 40, 50, 60 and 80 réis of no. 8. Rare.
  32. 36 1905 – Carlos Teixeira – 2 varieties with no indication of value, in tinplate.
  33. 37 1905 – M. Gonsalves & Companhia – 2 varieties with no indication of value, in zinc, and 1 with no indication of value, in copper.
  34. 38 1905 – Fort of São Filipe (St Philip) (A. Giorgi & Companhia) – 1 with no indication of value, in brass.

Tokens believed to have circulated in Madeira whose issuing houses are unknown:

  1. 1. S. I. D. & Cª – undated, 40, 50 and 100 in copper, in the collection of Mr Andrade, a Madeiran living in Brazil. In February 1907 a 40-réis example was sold in Amsterdam for 6 florins (Samuel John Dreff & C.º?).
  2. 2. R. I. M. – undated, without value, in copper, found during the works on the Blandy house’s quay at Pontinha (‘little point’), now in the seminary (Seminário) museum.
  3. 3. O. P., undated, without value, in brass (Public Works?).
  4. 4. 10 and 50, undated, without value, in brass.
  5. 5. CFF, 3 varieties, undated, without value, in zinc (Correia, França & Filhos?).
  6. 6. P. L., undated and without value, in copper.
  7. 7. W. H., undated, without value, in copper (William Hatchison?).

Tokens current in Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. T (abaco), S (abão), P. (olvora) [tobacco, soap, gunpowder]. (5 varieties PX RX PXX RXX PXXX)’.

In the German newspaper Munz Blatter the Revd Father Ernst Schmitz published a short note on Madeiran tokens, and Major Alberto Altur Sarmento also dealt with the same subject in an article that appeared in the now-defunct Diário do Commercio (‘Commercial Daily’) of Funchal.

In this article

Time

Years mentioned · 05

  1. João Francisco de Freitas Esmeraldo issued the first known Madeiran tokens.

  2. Diogo d'Ornelas Frazão issued tokens for his sugar mill at Calheta.

  3. The Funchal customs house issued brass tokens.

  4. A 40-réis Madeiran token was sold in Amsterdam for 6 florins.

  5. Carlos da Silva Carvalho's article Fichas Madeirenses appeared in the Almanach de lembranças Madeirense.

Place

Places mentioned · 07

Abroad

Map: Madeira (7)
  1. Amsterdam

    Netherlands. Where a Madeiran token was sold in February 1907.

  2. Calheta

    Where the Count of Calçada's tokens circulated at his sugar mill.

  3. Fort of São Filipe

    Funchal. Named on a brass token of 1905 issued by A. Giorgi & Companhia.

  4. Ponta do Sol

    Site of the Adegas dairy factory whose tokens recorded milk supplied.

  5. Pontinha

    Machico. A token of unknown origin was found during works on the Blandy quay here.

  6. Quinta Vigia

    Funchal. Its casino issued silver tokens in 1901.

  7. São Vicente

    Parish where the Drummond zinc tokens circulated.

People

People mentioned · 15
  1. Alberto Artur Sarmentob. 1878

    Army major who wrote on Madeiran tokens in the Diário do Commercio do Funchal.

  2. Carlos Bianchi

    Issuer of a tinplate token in 1855.

  3. Carlos da Silva Carvalho

    Madeiran official of the Lisbon customs house who wrote the 1908 article on Madeiran tokens transcribed here.

  4. Carlos Teixeira

    Issuer of tinplate tokens in 1905.

  5. Diogo d'Ornelas Frazão

    Later Viscount and Count of Calçada, whose sealing-wax tokens of 1841 circulated at his sugar mill in Calheta.

  6. Erminio Pojal

    Issuer of tokens in several metals in 1896.

  7. Ernst Schmitz

    Priest and collector who owned rare tokens and wrote on Madeiran tokens in a German numismatic journal.

  8. H. Hempel

    Collector who discovered the Drummond tokens of São Vicente and owned several unique specimens.

  9. João António de Bianchi

    Issuer of copper tokens in 1816.

  10. João Francisco de Freitas Esmeraldo

    Madeiran merchant credited with issuing the first known tokens in 1793.

+ 5 more
  1. José Fernandes d'Azevedo

    Issuer of tinplate tokens in 1899.

  2. Luiz Augusto da Silva Carvalho

    Countermarked Diogo Adams tokens with his initials in 1904.

  3. Manuel Ferreira Cabral

    Issuer of zinc tokens in 1887.

  4. Thaumaturgo de Souza Drummond

    Issuer of zinc tokens in 1815 that circulated in São Vicente parish.

  5. William J. Krohn

    Issuer of aluminium tokens in 1898.

Related

Referenced here · 6
References this · 1
Shared people · 8
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