New England States Token Report

Arcade & Amusement Tokens

• Manchester, CT
  
  
  • !UPDATE!: Time-Out in the Buckland Hills Mall uses the stock Namco "Pac-Man" tokens. 'Nuff said. (3/29/99) UPDATE: I guess it has been a while since I updated this page. This arcade has been gone for several years now. (2/23/08)
  • !NEW!: A couple of years ago, a Carrousel went into operation in the food court at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills (formerly the Buckland Hills Mall). It uses a custom 29mm brass token. The obverse reads THE SHOPPES AT BUCKLAND HILLS between scrollwork in a circle of dots and bears the HH mint mark. The reverse bears a BH logo over the words CAROUSEL TOKEN. (2/24/08)
  • !NEW!: Chuck E. Cheese behind the Burr Corners Plaza uses all of the common CEC tokens. (2/24/08)
  
  
  
• Meriden, CT
  
  
  • Jester's Courtyard is a small arcade attached to the Burger King on East Main St. They use several custom 25mm tokens. Tokens with the obverse: JESTER’S (Jester) COURTYARD PLAYLAND(R), and the reverse: Jester’s (Jester) No Cash Value, come in Brass, Wm-plated Brass, and Wm. The other token I only found in Wm, and is also 25mm. It reads: JESTER’S (Jester) GAMELAND // Jester’s (Jester) No Cash Value RWM (4/15/99)
  
  
  
• Mystic, CT
  
  
  • Mystic Aquarium is using a custom 25mm brass token for radio controlled boats and cars in a couple locations throughout the park. The obverse has a penguin head logo flanked by seahorses and raeds MYSTIC AQUARIUM at the top and INSTITUTE FOR EXPLORATION at the bottom. The reverse is a stock NO CASH VALUE in a circle of diamonds with the OC mintmark. (02/24/08)
  
  
  
• North Haven, CT
  
  
  • The Only Game In Town Is a fairly large amusement complex in sight of I-91. It is mostly outdoor, with Go-Carts, Mini-Golf, a Driving Range, Basketball Hoops, and Batting Cages. They have a few Video Games inside, but they take quarters. The Batting Cages, however, use a custom 25mm Brass token that cost $1 each. The obverse reads: THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN(R) THE ULTIMATE SPORTS COMPLEX(R) (logo) NORTH HAVEN, CT. 239-GOLF RWM, and the reverse is a "460 3-groove" type. (4/15/99)
  
  
  
• Uncasville, CT
  
  
  • Kids Quest is a small arcade within the Mohegan Sun casino that is part of a sort of day care center where people can leave their kids while they go gamble in the casino. The games use a completely custom 25mm Brass token. The obverse has the Kids Quest logo, and the reverse has the Mohegan Sun logo, No Cash Value, and the RWM mintmark. (01/27/99)
  
  
  
• Vernon, CT
  
  
  • Connecticut Golf Land is now using a 25mm Brass token in its arcade (called The Game Room, I'm not sure if there is any connection to the Waterford location). The obverse of the token reads: CONNECTICUT GOLF LAND VERNON, CT. RWM and has a logo showing a fairway behind a golf club. The reverse is also custom with the inscription: No Cash Value (stars) Golf Batting Cages Bumper Boats Go-Karts RWM. The older 23mm tokens seem to be obsolete. (10/13/98)
    
    
  • Flint's Fun Factory is a hole-in-the-wall place in a little plaza on Route 30. They are using a 23mm Brass token with the obverse inscription: FAMILY AMUSEMENT CENTER RWM and a picture of a clown's head. The reverse also pictures a clown's head, and simply reads: No Cash Value No Cash Value RWM. It is probable that this is an entirely stock token. (10/29/98)
  
  
  
• Waterford, CT
  
  
  • The Game Room located in the Crystal Mall, is using two different tokens. The first is a 23mm Brass token which has a Baseball Batter on the obverse and the RWM mintmark. The reverse is a stock No Cash Value RWM. The newer tokens are also 23mm Brass, but they are custom. The obverse reads "THE GAME ROOM CRYSTAL MALL WATERFORD, CONN. RWM" and has a large star behind the words "The Game Room". The reverse is another stock one: For Replay Only No Cash Value. (10/13/98) Update: The Game Room arcade is no longer in business in The Crystal Mall. (05/26/03)
    
    
  • !UPDATE!: Jester's Gameland now has a location in the Crystal Mall, and it is using a custom 23mm Brass token. The obverse has the company logo Jester's Head, and reads "JESTER'S GAMELAND CRYSTAL MALL . WATERFORD, CT RWM". The reverse is a stock No Cash Value RWM. (05/26/03) UPDATE: The last I knew, this location was no longer in operation. (02/23/08)
  
  
  
• Wethersfield, CT
  
  
  • Fun Zone is a good sized amusement complex on the Silas Dean Highway (Rte. 99). Not only is it an arcade, it has lazer tag, a few kiddie rides, and a McDonalds all in the same building. The arcade uses a couple of custom 25mm Brass tokens that are very similar to each other. They both have the Fun Zone logo in the center, surrounded by six stars. The older one (judging by its scarcity relative to the "newer" design) has the words "Family Entertainment Center" out by the rim and the mintmark is HH. The newer token has the words "Family Entertainment Center" contained in the logo (which is somewhat larger since it doesn't have the words around it) and the mintmark is RWM. Both tokens use stock No Cash Value reverses with their respective HH and RWM mintmarks. Unfortunately, I found more CEC tokens than the older style Fun Zone ones. (12/03/98) I guess I was mistaken about the relative age of the two types of these tokens. It now looks like the RWM variety is the older one, and the HH variety is current and just didn't outnumber the RWM tokens yet on my previous visit. When I went to Fun Zone this past weekend, the HH tokens not only far outnumbered the RWM ones, they also were all lustrous and new! Not only that, now the CEC tokens seem to outnumber the RWM style Fun Zone tokens. (3/29/99)
  
  
  
• Agawam, MA
  
  
  • Six Flags New England is using a 27mm stock brass token, TOKEN FOR REMOTE CONTROL RWM // NO CASH VALUE RWM, for some radio controlled boats. I also found one with "25 ANNIVERSARY (logo) [obliterated name]© THEMEPARK RWM" on the front, and "Token for Remote Control RWM" on the back. I'm not sure where this token originated, I don't have one with the name intact, but the name may have been removed for use at Six Flags, the token may have been left over from when the park was called Riverside. (12/26/01)
  
  
  
• Framingham, MA
  
  
  • Fun and Games is using a custom 25mm token. The obverse reads: FUN AND GAMES RTE.9 FRAMINGHAM and has a picture of a space creature's head. The back is a stock No Cash Value RWM. They also have a pretty good mix of other tokens floating around too. I changed two dolars and I only got a few of their tokens, along with some Chuck E. Cheeses and a Teddy Bear Arcade one. (10/13/98)
  
  
  
• Natick, MA
  
  
  • Aladdin's Castle in the Natick Mall uses the stock Namco "Pac-Man" tokens. 'Nuff said. (3/29/99)
  
  
  
• Wiers Beach, NH
  
  
  • FUNSPOT is a large amusement complex that uses many tokens. The arcade games take 23mm Brass tokens that all have the same reverse: Good Only For Games At Any Funspot (dot) 'We Have The Games People Play!'. The obverse of the oldest (I think) of these tokens reads: FUNSPOT RT. 3, WEIRS BEACH, N.H. and has a Jester's Head pictured in the center. The rest of these tokens are a dated series. The obverse simply reads: FUNSPOT (Date) and has the same Jester's Head. These tokens bear dates from 1982 thru 1998 (so far). I am fairly certain that none were used with the date 1990, though. The last time I was there, I went through at least 500 tokens, found at least four of every other date and the "RTE 3" example, but none with the date 1990. Also, there are two varieties of the 1984 token, a small date and a large date. It looks like Funspot changed token vendors partway through 1984, because the small dates match the '82's and '83's, and the large dates match the '85's and up. Beyond video game tokens, the are also prize tokens that are dispensed by slot machines. These 25mm Aluminum tokens are valued the same as the paper coupons awarded by some of the skill games, and can be spent at the prize counter. There are three varieties that I have found, all have an obverse that is similar to the "RT. 3, WEIRS BEACH, N.H." game token, only larger. The reverse of the earlier ones simply say: "1 Coupon RWM". The older ones are annodized green and are fairly hard to come by, and the newer ones are plain aluminum. The third variety, which I believe is the newest one, has a reverse which reads: "1 Prize Coupon RWM" and is also plain aluminum. There is another prize token that is also Aluminum, but it is 29mm in diameter and annodized purple. The obverse is similar to the rest, only larger still, and the reverse reads: "We Have The Games People Play! Special Prize Token RWM". The only place that I found to get it is in one bank of six "token drop" machines. The regular game tokens are used for play and the normal prize (if some happen to fall off into the award chute). The purple bonus tokens are on their own shelf, and are dispensed only when the dropped token trips a switch that is nestled among the pins. They are redeemable for either a FUNSPOT coffee mug, a FUNSPOT pint glass, or 25 game tokens. (10/13/98) Update: FUNSPOT seems to have discontinued the options of trading in the purple "Special Prize Token" for a mug or glass, now they can only be exchanged for tokens. (08/06/99)
    
    
  • The Half Moon is a small arcade nestled among the souvenir shops and tourist traps along Lakeside Ave. in Weirs Beach. It uses quarters in the video games, but they have a nice 25mm Brass prize token that is dispensed by the slot machines. The obverse reads: "HALF MOON SKILLFUL (star) WINNER (star)" and pictures a Crescent Moon with a face. The reverse reads: "Save Tokens For Larger Prizes (dot) No Cash Value (dot) 1/2 Coupon 1/2 RWM", and the word "coupon" is on a scroll. (10/13/98)
    
    
  • The Penny Arcade is located about 50 feet away from the Half Moon, and seems to be an extension of it. If it's not the same arcade, it is at least under the same management, because the signs are similar, and both of their slot machines dispense the same tokens, which are good at both prize counters. (08/06/99)
    
    
  • Winnipesaukee Pier is another small arcade on the boardwalk in Weirs Beach that uses quarters in the video games. The slot machines dispense 29mm Aluminum prize tokens that come either blue annodized or plain. The obverse reads: "WINNIPESAUKEE PIER WEIRS BEACH, NH RWM" and pictures a small sail boat on the water. The reverse is a stock No Cash Value. (10/13/98) Last weekend I found two varieties of the Winnipesaukee Pier tokens that I didn't know existed. They are also 29mm Aluminum. One appears to be an older token than the Sailboat varieties, judging by condition and scarcity. The front reads: "WINNIPESAUKEE PIER WEIRS BEACH, NH ARCADE RWM", and the back reads: "Redeem Points For Valuable Prizes 1 Point RWM", the word point is on a scroll across the numeral 1. The other new variety appears to be a new order of the other plain aluminun Sailboat token, except that the old one has the RWM mintmark on the reverse, and the new one does not, so it is like the blue one. Also, It seems that the blue tokens will soon be obsolete. I was only able to get a couple of them at the prize counter, and I was told "We're trying to get rid of those", so I may not be able to get any more after this year. (08/06/99)
    
    
  • The Daytona Fun Park is a go-cart track on Rte. 11A that has batting cages that use tokens. They look like a batting cage equipment supplier's stock token as opposed to a custom token for the location. They are 29mm Brass: "JUGS RANGE PRO EQUIPMENT 615-892-7264 (2 Bats, 3 Balls, 3 Stars in Wreath) HH // The Great American Pastime (dot) Baseball (dot) Softball (dot) (Batter in Wreath)" (10/13/98)

Transportation Tokens

• New Hampshire Highways
  
  
  • !UPDATE!: The tokens cataloged in Atwood Coffee as NH 720 C & D (and probably B) are still valid and in use at toll plazas across New Hampshire. For example, three tokens pays each of the 75 cent tolls on the Everett Turnpike. (10/13/98) The NH 720 B is definitely still in use, I got one in a roll of tokens that I purchased at the toll booths. (08/06/99) It appears that New Hampshire has re-ordered NH 720 C. There is quite a high proportion of shiny new ones in circulation now. (12/26/01) UPDATE: The New Hampshire tolls no longer accept tokens. (02/23/08)

Carwash Tokens

• New London, CT
  
  
  • Rapid Car Wash has a custom token that they used for fleet business. Some truck owners bought tokens and gave them to the drivers to insure that the trucks actually got washed. I guess that they were afraid that if they gave out quarters, the drivers would just give the trucks a quick wet down and pocket the rest of the money. (this token is now listed as CT 320 A in Ford-Coffee) (10/13/98)

Other Tokens

• Natick, MA
  
  
  • Jordan's Furniture has custom 30mm Brass tokens that are used in the store. Both sides show a picture of a man (Mr. Jordan?) from the collar up, a slightly different picture on each side. The front says "Jordan's Furniture" and the back says "Under Pricing" and bears the HM mintmark of the Hoffman Mint. These tokens are given to customers (presumably those, who have bought furniture) for use in candy machines in the store. The tokens can also be kept as souvenirs, or given to a friend who collects all kinds of tokens. ;) (12/26/01)