Rare Colorado Retail Tax Tokens (12)

Own a unique piece of history!! These are *rare* Colorado State Retail Tax Tokens from a couple different years.

What are they? Sales tax tokens were fractional cent devices used to pay sales tax on very small purchases in many American states during the years of the Great Depression. Tax tokens were created as a means for consumers to avoid being "overcharged" by having to pay a full penny tax on purchases of 5 or 10 cents. Issued by private firms, by municipalities, and by twelve state governments, sales tax tokens were generally issued in multiples of 1 mill (​1⁄10 cent).

CO used these tokens from Sept. 1, 1935, until Feb. 28, 1945. The 2-mill tokens were used when Colorado established a sales tax of 2 percent and had to figure out how that would be paid. Sales of 5 cents or less had no tax, 6 to 14 cents had one token, 15 to 24 cents two tokens, etc. Sales tax on 45 to 50 cents was a penny.

First issued in aluminum, followed by cardboard & plastic & you could have all 3!