> I figure there must be some people on this forum who have been to the big New Orleans bash called Mardi Gras. Maybe some of them can tell me what I have, I bought a bag of aluminum tokens at a thrift store in Georgia. They are 40mm in diameter and about 2 mm thick. That is about the size of a US silver dollar. Here's what they look like:
> front; Argus, Mardi Gras Jefferson Parish, LA 1972
> Engraving of a guy with a beard and no shirt.
> back; Creatures Great and Small 1986
> It shows a lion, an eagle, and a bee.
> another one:
> front; Thor 1972. back; Thor's Fantasy Island 1983 Both side show a guy with wings on his hat.
> One more:
> front; Atlas 1969 Naked guy holding earth with lightning bolts all around. back; Our Planet Earth 1983
> I have about 30 different tokens and with duplicates, maybe 80 or 90. What can you tell me about them? I've been to the Big Easy a couple of times and I've never seen anything like these.
> Howard

These are Crewe coins -- they're the same type of tokens as the necklaces, tossed out to the crowds by the different crewes. People know about the necklaces because on television or in pictures, it's easier to spot someone in gaudy plastic beads than someone holding a tin coin.

Some of the crewes might have coins pressed for them, similar to how people get t-shirts printed for any occassion. Other crewes probably go to a wholesaler and buy a bag of tokens just like you have there.

-Faux "Wouldn't mind living in New Orleans" Pas