What is this old coin?

[Cocteautriplet]

I know I should post this in a coin forum but they all look a bit serious and I feel totally out of my depth so I thought I’d post here first to get some validation first that this is indeed something old in case this is identified as a car park token or something and I look seriously foolish 😂

This coin belonged to my dad who was a bit of a collector he lived in the West Midlands so
probably found it in the garden BUT also travelled all over the world so it could be from anywhere!

it’s very thin and worn and looks like it’s made of copper. On the one side are little triangular makings and on the other something that looks like the Pi symbol or perhaps Stonehenge?

Googling hasn’t brought up anything similar…

Not sure it’s worth anything as it’s condition is so terrible but I’m interested to find out what it is!

Some more photos pre cleaning

It looks like it could be a shop token, the sort that mill and factory owners gave to workers so they were forced to use the company shop. But it needs a clean :)

Does it have milled edges?

No it’s very thin and worn so if did they are no longer apparent. The mill token idea is a good lead … so these were used in Victorian times?

Maybe it was a pie shop 😂😂😂

Is it just me or does the side shown in your second photo look like a creature holding something? Like a shield or badge? It's head with blue/green eyes are visible top right on photo 3 of your pre-cleaning pics and legs/feet below the shield in the centre.

https://dailybritain.wordpress.com/tag/truck-acts/

They were illegal from 1831, but were in use until later in some areas. Truck shops often charged higher prices than other shops, but if you were paid in tokens or got into debt with them, you had little choice, and often round collieries etc, there weren't other shops.

One of the pedestrian subways in Basingstoke is where the end of the Basingstoke canal once was (the canal still exists, just not in the town of its name) - it's got a replica on the wall of the tokens once used on the canal.

Wow this is so interesting so they basically forced their workers into giving back their earnings direct to their coffers … how mean!

Perhaps take it to a local museum and get them to have a look?

It shouldn't have been cleaned by the way...

Yes I completely see what you mean … like a little dragon!

I’ve taken a few more photos in better light

I think it looks like a bear or something along those lines. I also wondered about the Tufty Club! I had a badge for that in the 70s.

Actually - maybe a fox?

Hey OP, I think it’s a NAAFI token, to be used by British servicemen in the NAAFI canteen/bar/shop (more info on the NAAFI here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy,_Army_and_Air_Force_Institutes). I’m sure that I can see the initials curving down on the right hand side of one face, and the design looks like the one in this image, second row from the bottom, centre. Hope this helps!

I see it - think you're on to something there.