Festival coins

[Delireus]

Hi all,

I just recently visited the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival at the Castle of Muskogee a few weeks ago for the first time, it was a blast. As I was walking among the vendors, I'd see signs with pictures of coins on them with dollar amounts next to them. I didn't really think anything of it until I saw a large gold coin pass between patron and vendor. Later in the day I came across the faire bank and I stopped by to have a closer look.

It was a bank for exchanging these awesome lil coins for real money if the patrons chose to do so. The man behind the iron bars (it looked like an old western jail cell really) showed me his private collection as no one had turned any in. Apparently the vendors were suppose to come by every so often and exchange them for real money but no one had stopped by yet. I went back no less than 3 times to see if they had any for sale, not knowing if vendors would sell them to customers since they seemed to not want to give them up to the bank. 3 times they had gotten in a large quantity and sold out almost immediately! Finally I got so fed up I walked up to the nearest vendor and asked if she'd sell me some coins, which she readily agreed to.

I just love them. There were 4 different kinds: the $1 was (young) Elizabeth I, the $2 was Henry VIII, these 2 were in a pewetery colored metal. I know the first 2 look to be different colors but that's just the camera light, they're really the same color. Then the $5 was Margaret Tudor which was in a very nice gold tone and had a small hole in the top, for a necklace I'd assume. 3 different Margarets had these holes, so I suppose they all did. The $10 one was an Aztec coin, but I didn't get a good look at one nor did I buy it. I've made the Margaret into a necklace and wear it often, though it's a bit heavy.



Each had it's monarch on one side and a different ad for the Castle on the other. I don't know why but I absolutely love them, it was my favorite thing I've gotten at a faire in quite some time. I have them all lined up from biggest to smallest, the 4th coin being a quarter for scale. I've been to TRF, Scarby, and Kansas City many times and I've never seen anything like a coin like these.

Now here's my real point to this post, do you know if there are other faires where they have their own currency? Have I been totally clueless all these years?

The funny thing is, I must have looked at the back of all my Renaissance Magazines dozens of times in anticipation of my Oklahoma faire trip and never even snapped that the 4 coins were right on the back cover!

[renfairephotog]

Last year the Kentucky Highland Ren faire started using "Coin of the Realm"  Which are wooden $1 coins that you use at the food vendors instead of cash. Cute but it meant waiting in extra lines to buy the coin then wait in line for your food. So it's quick to use a debit card.


The Alabama Renaissance Faire used to have gold souvenir coins. Different one each year. I don't think they make them any more but they have turned the older ones into favors or jewelry.

[Delireus]

I've seen advertising for the wooden coins, my dentist years ago even had some for his office. The good thing about these coins is anyone took them, but they also took cash or plastic as well. I paid for a drink with one and I saw people paying for merch with them as well. I think it's a really cute touch and they make a great souvenir.

[renfairephotog]

They are nice inexpensive souvenirs. I've small collection of the Bama set. plus one of the favors. They are similar to the ones you've posted.

[Lord Clisto of York]

I have a set from there as well. They are a great collectible.

[VIII]

I have two from Scarborough Faire, from 1991 and 2005, but they were never used for purchases, just as souvenirs.

They also had some orange aluminum coins made for ScreamS that I got to hand out to kids as "The Dead Pirate Marooney" which advertised the new "Pirates of Peril's Point" attraction.



(Apologies for the crappy images)

[Bronwyn Blackmantle]

It would be great if festival coins would be used as "legal tender" at the faires, but there would have to be a lot made to keep them from being souvenirs only. When gold dollars were in goodly supply, I used a lot of them at PARF. It felt so much more realistic!

[DonaCatalina]

Four Winds Faire sells coins for souvenirs that have QEI on the face.

The possibility of using faire coins as legal tender is null and void because of federal currency laws.
We almost got in trouble once at an event because we were using obsolete European coins for 'gambling' at a period gaming boothe. We explained that we were just using them as tokens for the purpose of teaching the games.

If I see a Faire coin somewhere, I will usually buy at least 1.

[groomporter]

A few years ago the MNRF royal court pooled their own resources and had two styles of coins minted for their own use. They used them as props or occasionally as tokens to give away to children. We've saved a good sized handful of them over the years so we can use when we are "gambling" with participants who stop by our game shop.

The other problem with using Renfair coinage as money is that it would probably work like carnivals that make you buy tickets for food or rides. You usually have some left that you have paid for but can't turn in for a refund, so the carnival makes money even on the "unspent" tickets.

[ladylissame]

KYRF has added a $5 Coin of the Realm as well this year.

[renfairephotog]

The other problem with using Renfair coinage as money is that it would probably work like carnivals that make you buy tickets for food or rides. You usually have some left that you have paid for but can't turn in for a refund, so the carnival makes money even on the "unspent" tickets.

That's how Kentucky does it. If you have extra coin or 2 left over it's ok cause it's cheap souvenir. You have to plan ahead so you have a large amount left.

[bellevivre]

Sherwood had souveneir coins this year, and also, the local SCA Barony hosts a huge event and a certain owner of that land who happened to develop a famous game and recently went to space, has a mint where they make coins to comemorate that year's Baronial- not sure if they are usable at the event vendors, though.

[Merlin the Elder]

I have two from Scarborough Faire, from 1991 and 2005, but they were never used for purchases, just as souvenirs....

I've got a 2006 coin from Scarborough that was the Friends of Faire medallion. I guess it was before they decided to give the nice pins they now use.

[VIII]

Sherwood had souveneir coins this year

I got one of those from your Robin Hood!

[Tammy]

Someone mentioned using the gold dollars (actual currency) at faire. I tried that last year at Garf. I went to pay a food vendor, and she didn't want to accept the coins, said she needed bills. The vendor beside her took them and exchanged the money for her. I was a bit put off...it's real money, I was just trying to feel more 'period'!!