Wigan Album

Could well be a beer token or a token for the fruit machines.

Hi Ruby I don't think fruit machines would have been invented when this was in circulation<g>

It could be a token from a 'pasty eating' - many pubs used to have dos where they sold home baked pasties to customers, which contained tokens for prizes and booby prizes - a bit like the sixpences in a Christmas pudding. Twopence (2d) would have been the price of a pint, circa 1900.

This is, of course, a travel pass for the Wigan - Orrell Post section of the Wigan Highland Railway. The attempt to construct a light railway to Ormskirk via the heights of Upholland in 1865 foundered through lack of funds, and never got beyond Abbey Lakes. The completed section was eventually incorporated into the main Wigan Tramway system, but was still known locally by its original name for many years after, hence the initials WHR stamped into this token.

Hi Thanks Rev. That's very interesting

I believe the phenomenal tide range of Dean Brook at Abbey Lakes also proved an insurmountable obstacle; washing the newly constructed embankment away on a number of occasions.
It was fortunate that an early 20th c Landlord at the Stag Hotel - William Henry Rothwell - shared the same initials as the defunct company, and he purchased a job lot of the tokens.

Is it not possible that the token was for use of the bowling green at the Stag? the bowling green there became the car park in the 60s.