Bidspirit auction | Palestine - ”Pardes Department of

Palestine - ”Pardes Department of Dates” Token No. 6, estimated 1930s-1940s, British Mandate period - A rare labor token from the British Mandate period, used for worker identification or wage accounting in agricultural work related to date cultivation. The Hebrew inscription ”Pardes Department of Dates” suggests it was used in one of the plantations operating in the Jordan Valley or the Arava, where date farming was a central agricultural enterprise at the time. Such tokens served as tools for work management and payroll tracking. Each worker received a numbered token, which was collected at the end of each workday for wage calculation or attendance recording. It is also possible that the numeral 6 indicates a face value of 6 mils, and that the token was used as a form of small-change substitute during times of coin shortage. Workers would collect several tokens and later exchange them for cash with the plantation owner. Obverse: Large numeral ”6” at center, surrounded by the Hebrew inscription ”Pardes Department of Dates”. Reverse: Plain, without inscription. Material: Brass Diameter: 28 mm Weight: 11.063 g A genuine and rare artifact reflecting the date-growing industry in Palestine and the labor practices of agricultural workers during the British Mandate period.