American Tax Token Society

Official Site of the ATTS

 

 Home

  What are Sales Tax Tokens?

 Timeline of Issue

 Tax Token Catalog

 ATTS Library Listing

 ATTS Constitution

 Past Newsletters

News

 Contact Us

  Application

 Links

 

 

 

 

The American Tax Token Society (ATTS) was established formally in January 1971, after several months of effort by some individuals who felt the need for the organization.  The late Jerry Bates had conceived that such a society should be created.  Jerry Schimmel, Mike Pfefferkorn, George Frakes, and others were instrumental in turning the concept into reality.

Sales tax tokens (and other exonumismatic and philatelic pieces used in the process of collecting sales taxes) were used in several states, primarily in the Midwest, South, and Southwest, in the 1930s and 1940s.  Although in some cases they were legal until the early 1960s, for the most part they were discontinued shortly after World War II.  Except for occasional political pieces opposing a proposed sales tax in one of the few states still lacking one, the collecting field is closed in the sense that no more tokens are being issued and none are in public circulation.  However, there continue to be new discoveries of unknown pieces, major die varieties, a wide variety of historical materials, and other items.  With a few exceptions, the quantity of any given token is almost uncirculated condition is so great that tokens for a general collection remain within easy financial reach.

 

The purpose of ATTS is to gather and disseminate information about sales tax tokens, scrip, cards, stamps, and related material.  As is true with many exonumismatic subjects, members of ATTS specialize in a variety of activities.   Some collect only types, others study varieties, a few focus on a specific state.  There are members who enjoy searching old newspaper files for articles about issuances, and there is a modest amount of trading, buying, and selling.

 

The Society publishes a quarterly Newsletter in which historical, technical, and organizational information is provided along with advertising and editorials.  The newsletter averages about 100 pages each year.   Membership numbers approximately 120, scattered throughout the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Great Britain and Canada.  A 5-member board exercises oversight with elections every three years .  We are a not for profit organization as defined by the IRS and as such donations are tax deductible.

 

© ATTS & taxtoken.org 2007