-
Channel Island fantasy tokens
For the last 42 years I have collected WW.2 German militaria, and in the last 25 years have specialised in items that can be proven to have a direct link with the Channel Islands. I like soldbuch, wehrpass, photo albums, permits and I/D cards both military and civilian. Occasionally you will find items like helmets with a name, rank and FP number...to me that is like the holy grail. As you would expect over the years other collectors and dealers who I know have contacted me to say they have picked up and seen items that might be what I am after which is fantastic that they have taken the time to bother. On some occasions I have been offered what are known as "Jersey tokens", unfortunately I then have to let the people know that what they have are in fact FANTASY items made in the USA in the late 60's early 70's. These tokens are not even based on real items..... no such tokens were ever used in any of the Islands during the Occupation, and in all my years of collecting I have never been to a private call locally and been shown any of these tokens as items left over and saved from the Occupation years. I have spoken with a number of collectors who just don't believe me and they reckon I am trying it on. I even had a major US dealer collector insist that the example he had was 100% original as he picked it up years ago at a gun show..... in the USA, so it had to be real. Well the reason for this post is to let you all know that they are totally fantasy without any shadow of a doubt. So if your offered them, unless you do want them as a curio then stay well away from them. I have seen them for sale at upto £35 each, and they turn up quite often on Ebay..... the sellers you have guessed it, in the USA.
Years ago when I was a kid they even used to advertise them as sets for sale in the Exchange and Mart.
All the best from Jersey,
D.
-
07-30-2013 05:47 PM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
Good info about tokens to stay away from.
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
These idiotic things were all over the collecting world in the US in 1970, I remember. I looked at them then and laughed and looking again today, I can't imagine why I would have ever looked at them more than a glance even back then. There were many more different than shown, by the way....just so you know!
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
My first red flag about these if I had never read this today is, why would the Germans use English on the tokens? But thanks for the heads up!
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
by
KriegMann
My first red flag about these if I had never read this today is, why would the Germans use English on the tokens? But thanks for the heads up!
That would be because the Channel Islanders speak English even under German occupation.
Good information Damian, thank you.
Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
Kriegman, the tokens meant for German use are in German and the ones for civilian use are in English as thats whats spoken here.
Wagriff, there were only 12 tokens made for the Islands, check the advert. I know there are 13 shown but think the grooved edged brot token in a self done varient. I have never seen more than those shown here, and none of the other works done on these tokens have shown different examples. If you have or know of others please share with us what they are.
All the best,
D.
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
by
Adrian
That would be because the Channel Islanders speak English even under German occupation.
Good information Damian, thank you.
My bad I thought that the main language was French
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
I guess the ones making the rounds in the States had additional offerings made up then, as I remember seeing ones that listed "Potatoes" and "Sausage" on them as well as at least one that said "Milk" above an eagle and swastika like the "Brot" ones. I suppose if they are purely fantasy pieces, they could have decided to make anything they felt like...As I recall, they didn't All have word connections to the islands, but some, such as the "Brot" ones you've shown above were very simple in design.
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
-
Re: Channel Island fantasy tokens
Kriegman, you are correct French was spoken here as was Jersey French. Jersey French was and still is a language peculier to the Island. The Island is made up of 12 Parish's and it could vary from Parish to Parish. It was well known that the Germans would try to listen to conversations when out and about and so the locals would speak to each other in Jersey French and even if the German was fluent in French he would have been unable to understand what was being said. Today unfortunately there are very few who still speak it. As a child I remember it being spoken around town all the time, today your more likely to hear Portuguese or Polish.
D.
-
Bookmarks