The author describes the physical environment and wildlife of Alaska and recounts his personal experiences in its vast wilderness

This reference work lists and describes all known tokens (privately issued substitutes for coins) used from the 1890s gold rush through 1959, when Alaska gained statehood. New to this edition are tokens from the Yukon Territory, with extensive coverage of Yukon tokens through 1989. Entries describe individual tokens, are arranged alphabetically, and are divided into seven sections: Traditional Alaska Tokens, Alaska Transportation Tokens, Alaska Food Stamp Change Tokens, Alaska Prison Tokens, Metallic Identification Chits, Yukon Territory Metallic Tokens 1897-1945, and Yukon Territory Plastic Tokens 1946-1989. For each token, information includes the issuer, a physical and historical description, and current value.

The history of a country is often reflected in its money. For Alaska, this is especially true.00Alaska natives may not have had what we consider money, but they did have items that represented wealth. The tinnah (large shield-shaped pieces of copper) represented vast quantities of blankets. A tribe’s “face” rose and fell upon the acquisition and destruction (!) of tinnahs.00The Russian exploitation is expressed in their use of parchment notes, with no real value. With the sale of Alaska to the United States, it was the U.S.’s turn to neglect Alaska. It was the wild, wild “west” in fisheries and sealing.00With the gold rush, things started to look up for Alaska. Wealth, it seemed, was on every creek. Gold dust and tokens were the medium of exchange because any U.S. currency that happened to make it to the territory did a U-turn back to the lower forty-eight to purchase more goods.00All while this was going on, others were developing other sectors of the economy. Gold drove the economy, but other factors were leading to a more stable population.