Back when coal was king, coal companies issued tokens to employees as wages. Some lumber companies did likewise but never to the extent of the coal companies. 6The tokens were only good at the company store. If the employee needed an advance the company would give them tokens. Tennessee Ernie Ford's song Sixteen Tons refers to the employee owing his soal to the company store. Of couse, this was a unquestioned violation of federal law. The fed's looked the other way especially when they were way too busy protecting all citizens from the evils of gambling and booze. Charlie.