World Tokens

Jamaica, Checks, Tickets and Tokens, KINGSTON, British Sub-Aqua Club, brass washer [1965], b s x a c stamped incuse both sides, 32mm, 10.67g/3h (Lyall 166, this piece illustrated; Ford 619, this piece). Very fine and very rare £20-30

Provenance: R.J. Ford Collection, Part I, Spink Auction 79, 15 October 1990, lot 619 (part).

The Jamaican branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club was founded in October 1957. After various methods of paying for bottles of compressed air bills in cash had proved unworkable the club, which then had a membership of approximately 80, decided to introduce a token system in March 1965. 500 bronze washers were adapted at a cost of a shilling each; the cost of a bottle of compressed air at that time was five shillings. The token system proved to be short-lived