What is this mystery coin?

February 21, 2007 9:57 PM

One day about six years ago I was headed out to lunch when I found something in the parking lot. What is it?

It looks like a coin, and is about the size and weight of a dime. There is an eagle within a crest on one side, and on the other an inscription reading "Brother, you're the best / OT&T".

Side 1
Side 2

Every once in awhile I run across it and it bugs me that I still don't know what it is. The parking lot in question was in Houston, Tex.

posted by deadfather to grab bag (11 comments total)

Something to do with Oklahoma Telephone and Telegraph? OK isnt that far from TX...
posted by Joh at 10:08 PM on February 21, 2007

Some sort of coin for OT&T casino fun nights, along the theme of "Brother, can you spare a dime?"
posted by acoutu at 10:12 PM on February 21, 2007

My vote is something hand-made, with a custom message on the back.
posted by jazzkat11 at 10:18 PM on February 21, 2007

God, I was so hoping there wasn't actually more inside. I was going to guess "a naked lady!!" but clearly not.

http://www.ottcasino.com/home.asp looks like it might be a lead; perhaps the coin-thing you found is from an earlier, less flashy era of this company? They do claim to have been in business for thirty years, so it's possible.
posted by crinklebat at 10:29 PM on February 21, 2007

It seems like this might be related - OT&T Casino Events. Some sort of token or prize... although the relative crudity of manufacture is a bit of a puzzler. Still, it might be worth it to drop a line to that contact link at their site - you might luck out and get a bored human being who will recognize it or forward it to some old timer in the company.
posted by nanojath at 10:33 PM on February 21, 2007

damn you, live preview!
posted by nanojath at 10:34 PM on February 21, 2007

Does it seem like it could be Pewter? I've seen a setup where quick pewter casts (not sure if that's the correct term, and that goes for all the metalworking terms I'm going to use) are custom handmade for people for a few bucks. An open mold is prepared to the customer's desire and molten pewter is poured in.

Picture - this one has an antiquing process used to blacken the letters, and the word "BEER" is just quickly done by hand. I've seen ones done with nicer, prepared lettering and images, but still manually and quickly enough that they have the somewhat crude looks of the thing you posted.

The ones I've seen are generally made as pins, but your object has the same look of being poured into a quickly made open mold with a prepared "Brother" message and the eagle logo imprinted onto the back before the pewter solidifies. Perhaps OT&T does them as souvenirs.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 1:52 AM on February 22, 2007

Side 2 reminds me of the flag of Prussia.
posted by jwells at 5:29 AM on February 22, 2007

Some kind of union token/pin/identifier perhaps?
posted by Mitheral at 11:21 AM on February 22, 2007

OT&T - Obscure Trotsky reference??
posted by IronLizard at 11:41 AM on February 22, 2007

You can probably find the answer at Exonumia.com

It is probably related to some fraternal organization, I checked Exonumia's listings of known abbreviations for secret societies, fraternal orders, etc. and came up with nothing.*

The closest was OT (Order of Thirteen) and OTT (Old Time Telegraphers)

Your answer probably lies along this path... so e-mail your photos and this story to Mr. Hartzog.

And let us know!



*I did learn that the TKKKK were/are Templar Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
posted by cinemafiend at 11:12 PM on February 22, 2007