COMMUNION TOKENS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23330, 23 October 1937, Page 2

COMMUNION TOKENS

WIDELY USED IN OTAGO AN INTERESTING STUDY In a short paper on "Communion Tokens of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand," given before a recent meeting of the New Zealand Numismatic Society, Mr H. G. Williams,, of Dunedin. said that Presbyterian Church Communion tokens (round, square, oval, or lozenge-shaped pieces of metal, usually of lead and bearing names ot churches, numbers, or references from the Bible) were interesting sidelights on the study of numismatics. These tokens were said to have had their origin in Scotland, as admission pieces to communion services. It is even stated that similar tokens were used as passports to conventicles . held in defiance of the law, when religious persecution was the order of the day in Scotland, and it is suggested that the lozenge shape was adopted to facilitate insertion in the mouth in the event of being surprised in secret conclave, but there was no confirmation of these assertions. In any case, the heather would provide a sufficient hiding place for tokens if used in times of risk It was clear that communion tokens served mainly as adjuncts to communion services, indicating numbers and texts, etc., and it was for use in such a way that they were first issued in New Zealand in 1844, their use being discontinued about the year 1886. They were used mainly in Otago. Very few people of the present generation were aware that these pieces had been used, and there were very few, if any, complete collections of them. Mr Williams had the most complete collection. He was making an effort to complete sets for the church authorities and for local collections, and so far he had learned of the following 40 issues:—(l) free Church of Scotland (brought to New Zealand by passengers of Philip Laing), ND; (2) Whangarei (Auckland), ND; (3) St. Andrew's (Auckland), ND; (4) Otahuhu (Papatoetoe), 1854: (5) St. Paul's (Napier), ND; (6) St. Johns (Wellington), 1878; (7) St. John's (Wellington), 1886; (8) Trinity Church (Nelson), 1849; (9) St. Paul's (Christchurch). ND; (10) Sefton (Canterbury), ND; (11) St. Paul's (Oamaru), ND; (12) Waikouaiti (Otago), 1863; (13) Mornington (Otago), ND;_(l4) Puerua (Otago), ND; (15) Scots Road Presbyterian Mission to New Zealand, 1844; (16) Presbyterian Church of Otago (for general use), ND; (17) Port Chalmers (Otago), 1848: .(18) Chalmers Church (Dunedin), ND: (19) Knox Church (Dunedin), I 860; (20) First Church (Dunedin), 1848; (21) St. Stephen's (North Dunedin), 1871; (22) St. Andrew's (Dunedin), ND; (23) Anderson's Bay (Dunedin), ND; (24) Green Island (Otago), ND; (25) Kaihiku (Otago), ND; (26) North Taieri (Otago), ND; (27) East Taieri (Otago), ND: (28) West Taieri (Otago), 1864; (29) Waihola (Otago), 1864; (30) Warepa (Otago), ND; (31) Balclutha (Otago), ND; (32) Tapanui (Otago), ND; (33) Tuturau (Otago), ND: (34) Tokomairiro (Otago), I 860;; (35)ptepopo (Otago), 1864; (36) Longbush (Southland), ND; (37) First Church (Invercargill, Southland), ND. Cardboard tokens: (38) Waverley (Taranaki); (39) St. Andrew's (Queenstown); (40) Kaiapoi (Christchurch). Sir James Elliott exhibited a series of early Scottish communion tokens, some of which were fairly rare and worth about 7s 6d. These tokens were, perhaps, not sufficiently old to have been used as passports to illegal conventicles, such as those referred to. but they brought under notice the former existence of interesting religious usages of departed days. "FENCING THE TABLE"

The Rev. D. C. Bates said that in mediaeval times it was usual for the laity to communicate only once a year —at Easter—but at the Reformation it was thought desirable that communion should be taken more frequently. The issue of Presbyterian communion tokens to the congregation was considered to be a privilege necessitating a special session of the elders to consider the fitness of the applicants for communion. This was f known as "fencing the table." The issue of tokens was said to have been abused occasionally both by issuers and recipients and. after being suostituted by cards in some places, their issue was discontinued. Communion tokens seemed peculiar to the Presbyterian Church, although other churches had their forms of admission and communicant guilds, etc., for which special medals were worn. Mr H. G. Williams was accorded a vote of thanks for his interesting paper.