NOTE: "Known Mintages" represent coins counted by Balson during an intensive six month cataloguing of the stock held at Strachan and Co's main store at Umzimkulu in 1976. The coins were scrapped by Donald Strachan's grandson, Ken Strachan, about ten years later.

[The S & Co] [The rare S & Co MH]
[The "OLD" S & Co In Goods set] [The "NEW" S & Co In Goods set][Are there in fact two sets of "in goods"?]
[Known mintages of the four sets: Coins Counted by Scott Balson in 1976 and estimated surviving]
[Coins held by Strachan and Co scrapped in 1980s]

[Going prices and history of complete set prices since 1980]

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The Technical details of the four
Strachan and Co token coin sets

The S & Co

Oldest of the sets.

Rare to very rare.

Brass, uniface, plain edge raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription across the field in two lines, "S & Co", and the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/-. The dimensions are shown below. Current prices of these tokens at this link.

Denomination	Diam (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Mass (grms)	Known Mintages (before tokens scrapped)	Estimated surviving:	Quality of best specimens found
3d	19.4-	1.2-	2.466+	2,739	250	Very Good to EF+ (extremely rare)
6d	23.3-	1.25	3.663+	1,627	150
1/-	29.6+	1.2	6.030+	452	100
2/-	32.6-	1.2	7.255+	342	100	Total Coins Counted: 5,160

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S & Co MH

Specifically struck for one of the Strachan stores, Mountain Home. Current prices of these tokens at this link.

Extremely rare.

Brass, uniface, plain edge raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription across the field in three lines, "S & Co", "MH" and the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/-. The dimensions are shown below

Denomination	Diam (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Mass (grms)	Known Mintages (before tokens scrapped)	Estimated surviving:*	Quality of best specimens found
3d	19.6	1.25	2.631+	109	30	Very Good to EF (Extremely Rare)
6d	23.4	1.25	3.935+	85	30
1/-	29.6	1.2	6.008+	81	30
2/-	32.6	1.25	7.346+	85	30	Total Coins Counted: 360

*Saved by Balson during the counting.

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The "OLD" S & Co In Goods

Rare, except for the 1/- which is the rarest of the S & Co tokens.

Brass,obverse and reverse the same, plain edge, raised rim in pearled border pierced at 12 o'clock. Inscription in three straight lines, "S & Co", the value, 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/- and "In Goods".Current prices of these tokens at this link.

Denomination	Diam (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Mass (grms)	Known Mintages (before tokens scrapped)	Estimated surviving:	Quality of best specimens found
3d	19.8	1.25	2.598+	932	100	Very Good to Extra Fine (Extremely Rare)
6d	24.3	1.3	4.310+	802	80
1/-	29.1	1.5+	7.264+	61*	30
2/-	32.6	1.6	9.032+	1,170	100	Total Coins Counted: 2,965

*Rarest of the S&Co tokens

Blow up of these coins at this link
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The "NEW" S & Co In Goods

Relatively common, most recent mint of the Strachan sets. Coins can occasionally be found in near uncirculated condition.

Denomination Diam
(mm) Thickness
(mm) Mass
(grms) Known Mintages
(before tokens scrapped) Estimated
surviving: Quality of best specimens found

3d 19.8+ 1.5+ 3.409+ 4,209 350 Very Fine to UNC (Very Rare)

6d 24.9+ 1.6+ 5.429+ 5,014 500

1/- 29.25 1.45 6.626+ 1,365 150

2/- 33.0+ 1.6+ 9.512+ 1,025 100 Total Coins Counted: 11,613

Blow up of these coins at this link
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Known mintages of the four sets, estimates on production and coins surviving today

No official mintages are known but careful counts were taken of each of the sixteen different tokens present in the Strachan & Co stock in 1980. If we bear in mind the relatively high purchasing power of these tokens during the period 1975 to 1932 it seems unlikely many were retained by customers as momentos. The figures are therefore believed to be an excellent indication of the actual mintages of the series. Sadly, most of the tokens counted were scrapped by Ken Strachan a few years later.

Type	3d Counted	Est. 3d Surviving	6d Counted	Est. 6d Surviving	1/- Counted	Est. 1/- Surviving	2/- Counted	Est. 2/- Surviving	Quality of tokens
S & Co	2,739	250	1,627	150	452	100	342	100	VG to EF+ (Rare)
S & Co "MH"	109	30	85	30	81	30	85	30	VG to EF (Rare)
Old "In Goods"	932	100	802	80	*61	30	1,170	100	VG to EF (Rare)
New "In Goods"	4,209	350	5,014	500	1,365	150	1,025	100	VF to Unc (Rare)
Total coinage:
Counted	7,989		7,528		1,959		2,622		20,098
Estimated Surviving:		730		760		310		330	(2,130)
Total face value issued by S&Co:	estimated over £100		estimated over £200		estimated over £100		estimated over £300		estimated £700 - £1,000

* The rarest coin in the series.

The Technical details of the four Strachan and Co token coin sets

Rare to very rare.

Extremely rare.

Rare, except for the 1/- which is the rarest of the S & Co tokens.

Relatively common, most recent mint of the Strachan sets. Coins can occasionally be found in near uncirculated condition.

Total Coins Catalogued by Scott Balson in 1976: 20,098 Estimated coins remaining after scrapping: 2,130

The Technical details of the four
Strachan and Co token coin sets

Total Coins Catalogued by Scott Balson in 1976: 20,098
Estimated coins remaining after scrapping: 2,130