RPL (Larkan) Day Labour token - EXTREMELY RARE. First time sold on BoB
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Product information
ONLY THREE PROMINENT COLLECTORS CURRENTLY HAVE THESE DAY TOKENS
The extremely rare “RPL” and “NFL” day tokens used for identifying togt labour on the farm at Thorninghurst – southern Natal (near Donnybrook). Labourers would wear the tokens around their necks (hole at centre) and get paid in F C Larkan trade tokens at the end of the day. They could then take the Larkan tokens to local traders to buy goods. Percy Larkan would redeem his tokens in goods from the local traders each week. They were used regularly for about 20 years from 1930s to 1955.
The coin for sale, displayed here, is a RPL (Robert Percival Larkan) day token numbered 22. See my other listings for the NFL (Naomi Frances Larkan) token discussed here - but being sold separately.
These pieces on sale are extremely rare. Of 64 RPL Larkan tokens issued just 55 survive. Of 36 NFL Larkan tokens just 27 survive. Many of these day tokens are in a very poor state of repair due to corrosion and the centre piece joining the disks has collapsed leaving just part of the token. They were discovered when I dug up the old “long drop” on 17th September 1977. I am not aware of any day tokens that did not get thrown into the pit when the Larkans left Thorninghurst in 1955.
Full story – google “F C Larkan token” and look for tokencoins in the website address.
These pieces have been cleaned with acid on the day of their discovery and have not corroded any further since then. Both the pieces on sale here, although corroded by 25 years in a long drop, have a very sound connecting piece between the circular aluminium discs making up the “bobbins”. See images.
Well known token coin collector Allyn Jacobs summed them up like this in a poem written to me in October 2006:
Dung-besmattered though they be,
The Larkans are a joy to see!
Staffords with their backsides etched,
Reek of mielies that were retched....
Long years they mouldered in latrine,
And but for you were never seen!
Image above: Side view of RP Larkan "bobbin" day token
Robert Percy Larkan was the son of Frances Charlotte Larkan who had the F C Larkan tokens minted for her trading stores in the early 1900s.
A set of four F C Larkan recently sold on BoB for over ZAR10,000
FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD BY REGISTERED AIRMAIL TO THE WINNING BIDDER
More on togt labour tokens on the BoB forum at (bottom of): http://forum.bidorbuy.co.za/coins-notes-numismatist/6818-southern-africa-tokens-8.html (Anthony Govender's post on Baynesfield Estate)
and
http://forum.bidorbuy.co.za/coins-notes-numismatist/6818-southern-africa-tokens-9.html