1940 TC-43012 White Metal L.D.S. Church Welfare Plan UT Half Dollar

Coin Details

Description

This 1940 white metal token cataloged as TC-43012 is a half dollar denomination piece from the LDS Church Welfare Plan in Utah. The switch from brass to white metal for the higher denominations helped differentiate values by both size and composition, preventing confusion during transactions at church welfare stores. The half dollar denomination represented significant purchasing power within the welfare system, sufficient for larger quantities of food or household goods. White metal — a tin-based alloy — gave these tokens a silver-like appearance that visually distinguished them from the brass lower denominations. The study of American tokens bridges numismatics and local history, as individual pieces often provide the only surviving evidence of specific businesses, events, or commercial practices in their communities. The LDS Church Welfare Plan token series is one of the most complete and well-documented examples of a private welfare currency system in twentieth-century America.

Rarity Notes

White metal LDS Church Welfare Plan token, half dollar denomination. TC-43012. Higher denominations are generally scarcer.

Cross References

PCGS #881956; TC-43012; 1940 LDS Church Welfare Plan, UT, Half Dollar