USA, Token from Guinness Museum of World Records

I'd received this nice piece of alloyed pewter token from a friend some 20 years ago.

I'd never known that the Guinness Museum of World Records is situated in San Francisco, California.

On the reverse of this token, there are words like Break A World's Record, and Best, Biggest, Most Fastest.

tokens

USA, Tokens for Bus Rides

Here are four nickel tokens once meant for bus rides on Gibson Lines and Mobile City Lines.

Nowadays I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens for bus rides is still relevant.

tokens

Canada, Tokens of Toronto Transit Commission

In the 1980s, commuters used tiny aluminium-alloyed tokens to ride the Toronto Transit.

Tiny tokens like these were cheap to produce but easy to misplace. If they were misplaced or lost and never to be found, I guess the Toronto Transit would consider that as service rendered and money paid for nothing.

I don't have any idea as to how long this kind of tokens had been used by commuters and how many of these tokens had been lost and never been found.

Nowadays I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens for train rides is still relevant.

tokens

Italy, Telephone Tokens

In the mid-1980s, public telephones in Rome, Italy required brass tokens for calling.

Nowadays many people around the world carry cellphones around, and I wonder this kind of novelty idea of using tokens to make telephone calls is still relevant.

I guess these tokens are history and good mementos now.

tokens

USA, Philadelphia Mint Token

In the late 1980s, I'd received this 1987 mint set of coins from a friend living in the USA.

Until today, I am still trying to figure out the reason as to why the US Philadelphia Mint had packed a large token dated August 14, 1969 inside this pack of coins.

tokens

China, 1990 XI Asian Games Token

It's great to have a friendly seller, previously from Yahoo! Auctions Singapore, who was generous to give me this wonderful piece of bronze token commemorating the 1990 XI Asian Games held in Beijing, China.

The reverse of this token has a marvelous image of a galloping horse, 1990 being the Year of the Horse.

tokens

China, (ND) Peking Hotel Token

It's great to have a friendly seller, previously from Yahoo! Auctions Singapore, who was generous to give me this large crown-size brass token.

This token was a souvenir from a hotel in Peking, China and its reverse has an impressive dragon-phoenix motif.

tokens

China, 1987 Jinling Hotel Token

In 1987 (Year of the Rabbit), a relative had given me a copper token (sealed inside an acrylic capsule) after a visit to China.

It was wonderful to receive a nice souvenir from China at that time.
Some three years ago, a nice seller at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore had given me a similar token that he didn't want to keep in his collection any longer.

I am wondering whether all those visitors from Singapore might have somehow stayed in Jinling Hotel at that time, and this hotel had minted hundreds if not thousands of such tokens and given them to all its hotel guests.

tokens

2004 Calendar Card and Token

This is a calendar card with an encased copper token.

This interesting item was given to me sometime last year by a good friend who'd found it tucked inside a second-hand used book.

This item has Chinese characters and Russian alphabets, and I guess it might be made in China and sold in Russia.

It's a wonder that this nice souvenir has landed in Singapore.

tokens

Western Australia, Souvenir Coins or Tokens

Two Copper-alloyed Tokens.

1983 Perth Souvenir Coin and 1984 Kalgoorlie Goldfields Souvenir Coin.

Some three years ago, I'd traded an old piece of papermoney for these two large crown-size copper tokens with a fellow seller at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

These two pieces are actually medallions or tokens and not coins 'coz they're minted privately and do not have any face value.

Sold in March 2014.

China, 2008 Medallion for Football Events XXIX Olympiad

Beijing 2008 Official Licensed Product, No. 101151.
Commemorative Medallion for Football Events of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

This is an official commemorative gold-plated copper medallion of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, produced by Beijing Fanrong Culture Development Co. Ltd., and presented in a solid silk/velvet leather-like box.

This proof medallion of diameter 60mm is enclosed inside an acrylic capsule and has a Collection Certificate #07053 for authenticity.

It's great to have a relative who has come back recently from working in China and presented me with this superb commemorative medallion.

China
Olympic Games

Necklace made of 24K Gold

The purchase receipt has gone missing for this 24K gold necklace that has been kept for more than thirty years.

I can figure out the hallmark of pure gold, 999 fineness, and the name of the local goldsmith.

I don't have a digital scale but I estimate this necklace weighs at least 20 grams.

Latest: The exact weight of this necklace is 22.31 grams. Sold!

gold

Pendant Frame made of 22K Gold

With the price of gold hovering around US$1000 per troy ounce, this small piece of 916 fineness pendant frame is worth some money.

Gold of 916 fineness is rather soft, and the ring attachment on top of this pendant frame has been worn out by years of usage.

This frame weighs exactly 2.90 grams and has a pure gold content of least 2.65 grams. It has a scrap-gold value of S$95.00 when I'd sold it to a goldsmith shop on March 17, 2008. Sold!

gold

Clip-on Bracelet made of 20K Gold

This old-fashioned clip-on bracelet has a tiny locking screw and two jingling accessories attached.

This bracelet was bought from a goldsmith shop in Chinatown way back in 1969 when the price of gold was relatively cheap and affordable.

It weighs exactly 14.70 grams and has a pure gold content of 12.25 grams.

Today the price of gold has hit the four-figure mark of US$1000 per troy ounce. The currency exchange rate of US$1.00 is equivalent to S$1.385.

Latest: Sold on March 17, 2008. Sold!

gold

Heavy Bracelet made of 24K Gold

This bracelet weighs exactly 62.20 grams or two troy ounces.

The price of gold today is US$995 per troy ounce and it has hit the magic $1000 mark. The currency exchange rate of US$1.00 is equivalent to S$1.385.

Sold!

gold

Necklace made of 22K Gold

With the price of gold hovering around an all-time high of US$995 per troy ounce and within striking distance from the magic $1000 mark, this short piece of 916 fineness gold necklace is worth some money.

Ain't no way that I will treat this nice piece of gold item just like a piece of scrap-gold.

Fortunately I haven't sold this necklace to an eager buyer about four weeks ago when the gold price was about US$908 per ounce because I haven't yet checked out the exact weight of this item. Since then the gold price has gone up by about ten percent and now I'll get several more bucks from the sale.

The exact weight of this necklace is 7.96 grams and it has a pure gold content of at least 7.29 grams. Sold!

gold

Crucifix made of 22K Gold

With the price of gold hitting an all-time high of US$985 per troy ounce, this small piece of 916 fineness gold crucifix is worth some money.

Ain't no way that I will treat this nice piece of gold item just like a piece of scrap-gold.

gold

Vintage Piece of Pure Gold Ring

With the price of gold hovering around an all-time high of US$980 per troy ounce, this old piece of 999 fineness gold ring is worth some money even if it's just a piece of scrap-gold.

Sold on March 14, 2008. Sold!

gold

Vintage Piece of Dental Art

With the price of gold hovering around an all-time high of US$980 per troy ounce, this old piece of gold teeth is worth some money even if it's just a piece of junk scrap-gold.

I am giggling, heeheehee!

This item has been sold. Sold!

gold

Singapore $5 Polymer Banknote, UNC

Singapore Polymer $5 Portrait, UNC.
Fancy Serial Number 040404.

This is a hard-to-find piece of uncirculated polymer banknote bearing the prefix of 2DD and a fancy number 040404.

Sold to a returned customer at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

SOLD!

Singapore

Singapore $10 Polymer Banknotes, New Series

Singapore $10 Polymer, signed GCT, 10 pieces of uncirculated banknotes. Sold!

On February 1, a new series of $10 polymer banknotes was released for circulation.

Many prefixes starting with the number 2 were issued, and I believe the prefix 2BA is amongst those early prefixes released. It might even be the first prefix of this new series of banknotes.

Now at least one of my customers has indeed confirmed prefix 2BA to be the first prefix of this series of banknotes.

Singapore

A New Series of $10 Polymer Banknotes

Singapore $10 Polymer Banknotes, signed GCT, 10 pieces of consecutive numbers, UNC. SOLD!

On February 1, a new series of $10 polymer banknotes was released for circulation.

Many prefixes starting with the number 2 were issued, and I believe the prefix 2BA is amongst those early prefixes released. It might even be the first prefix of this new series.

This set of banknotes has been sold to one of my regular customers at Yahoo! Auctions Singapore.

Singapore

Angpow Envelops from Marriott Hotel

One Big, One Small.
It's interesting to place the 2007 large longish angpow or hongbao envelop beside the 2008 small squarish envelop, both issued by Marriott Hotel in downtown Singapore, and see the difference in sizes.

Is it the green campaign to save some paper that successful, or is it a corporate decision to save some money inspite of the booming tourist trade?

I guess the price of paper and the cost of printing have gone up. That's why I could only collect loose pieces and not a whole packet from this hotel. Sold!

Singapore

Angpow Red Packets from Hotels

Collecting red packets of angpow or hongbao envelops issued by hotels downtown is a good way to check out the booming business of the tourist trade.

You get to see the number of tourists checking in and out at the reception desks of those hotels downtown.

Besides, you get an opportunity to meet the front desk staff to find out how courteous or otherwise if they are performing their tasks dutifully or not.

Check out those packets above, from left to right: Orchard Hotel, Park Hotel Group, and Le Meridien.

Singapore