In the United States, a wooden nickel is a wooden token coin, usually issued by a merchant or bank as a promotion, sometimes redeemable for a specific item such as a drink.
Video Wooden nickel
History
Scrip and tokens have often been issued locally in times of severe economic distress such as financial crises and the Civil War. During the Depression, a local bank in Tenino, Washington, issued emergency currency printed on thin shingles of wood. Blaine, Washington, soon did the same with both flat scrip and, in response to requests generated by news and word of mouth, coins that included a 5-cent piece. The Chicago World's Fair in 1933 issued wooden nickels as souvenirs, and the tradition of wooden nickels as tokens and souvenirs continues to the present day.
In more recent times, wooden nickel trading has become more popular. Individuals can have their own personalized token made and then trade with others who also have had their own made. This is especially popular in geocaching.
An American adage, "Don't take any wooden nickels" is considered a lighthearted reminder to be cautious in one's dealings. This adage, too, precedes the use of wooden nickels as a replacement currency, suggesting that its origins lie not in the genuine monetary value of nickels but rather in their purely commemorative nature.
Maps Wooden nickel
See also
- Elongated coin
- Sales tax token
- Slug (coin)
References
Here is the real reason why the phrase "Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels" came about.
According to my recollection of my mom first hand (I am 62 as of this date 1-27-2018). During the 1920's when times were getting hard, criminals (gangsters) would make realistic wooden nickels.
The nickels would spend at the stores unaware to the merchants that they were fake and many. many were in circulation. The nickel was the chosen coin to reproduce because the text/imprint and size was easy to work with and worth the value as it would arouse little suspicion.
Latter as the con was discovered, merchants simply gave their customers the wooden nickels as change and let that become their problem.
To test to see if a nickel was real when given to a merchant, the merchant would put the nickel between his teeth and bite down on it. if it was made of wood, it would leave a bite mark and the fake nickel was revealed instantly.
Now you understand WHY you saw merchants biting on a coin in those old black and white movies.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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