Oregon Centennial Tokens

Standard obverse of an Oregon Centennial Token

Oregon Centennial Tokens were a type of trade token (also known as a "So-Called Dollar") issued during the 1959 Oregon Centennial. Many localities sold them as a fundraiser to finance their Centennial celebrations.

Design

The Northwest Specialty Sales Co. created several prototypes and induced 38 localities to purchase the tokens. Each locality had the option of using the standard obverse and a customizable standard reverse. The standard reverse also had room for two logos around the outer rim. Each locality determined the logos that were displayed on the reverse upper and lower curvatures. The standard obverse was the official emblem of the Oregon Centennial.

The standard reverse had a center with the phrase: "Good For 50¢ in trade At any cooperative Business or Redeemable At face value at the (locality) (location) until 3 P.M. Friday Sept. 1959." There existed variations of the standard reverse phrasing between localities but this one was the most common.

Physical attributes

The tokens range in size from 32 to 40 millimeters in diameter. Different metal compositions were used by the manufacturer of the tokens. Each locality had the option of which type or types of metal composition to use in production. Some localities created limited versions using different metals than their standard versions. These different versions were used as awards, gifts, or special mementos for dignitaries.

References

Hibler, Harold E.; Charles V. Kappen (1963). So-Called Dollars. New York: Coin & Currency Institute.

Modern history of Oregon (1890–present)

Topics	Tax revolt Governors Bottle Bill Centennial Tokens "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" Meier & Frank Willamette Industries Direct Legislation League

Events	USS Oregon Lewis & Clark Expo Oregon land fraud scandal Lookout Air Raids Columbus Day Storm Exploding whale 1977 NBA Finals 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens Rajneeshee bioterror attack Rajneeshee assassination plot New Carissa oil spill Willamette Valley Flood

Places	Bonneville Dam Celilo Falls Copperfield Fort Stevens Harbor Drive Kaiser Shipyards Shanghai tunnels Vanport

Politicians	Victor G. Atiyeh George Chamberlain David B. Frohnmayer Neil Goldschmidt Mark Hatfield Nan Wood Honeyman Tom McCall Douglas McKay Charles McNary Wayne Morse Maurine Neuberger Norma Paulus Barbara Roberts James H. Weaver

Other Oregonians	Terry Baker Pietro Belluschi Gert Boyle Abigail Scott Duniway James A. Fee Matt Groening Ken Kesey Phil Knight Ursula K. Le Guin Hall S. Lusk Brian McMenamin Bill Naito Steve Prefontaine Jack Ramsay Henry Weinhard

History of Oregon's native peoples of Oregon to 1806 of pioneers in Oregon of Oregon in modern times

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