Communion tokens were used by members of Reformed churches in Scotland and other areas of Europe as a means of granting access to communion in the church. Generally speaking it meant the the holder of the token or coin had received sufficient instruction and was a member of the local congregation in good standing.
The genealogist may be interested in these coins or tokens. If one is found in a relative’s attic, trunk, or elsewhere it could be a clue as to where the family had lived at one point in time. The communion token in the illustration was issued in 1850 to someone from Lochmaben in Scotland.
Additional information on the coins can be found on Wikipedia and this online article. They can also be found for sale on Ebay.
Thanks to David Rencher who made me aware of these on a recent episode of Genealogy QuickStart.
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