Communion Tokens
Dunblane Museum has an extensive collection of about 6,000 communion tokens, originally formed when four different collections were donated in the 1930s, and supplemented by more recent additions.
Communion tokens were commonly used in Presbyterian churches across the world, from the Reformation through to the nineteenth century. Anyone attending church who was in possession of a token was known to have proved their spiritual fitness to attend communion. For example, in Lasswade, Midlothian, in 1710, those that were given tokens were “...fund weill instructit in the Belief, the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Command”.
Those about to take communion were seated at a table which was separated by a wooden paling from the rest of the church. The table was guarded by two elders who were responsible for ensuring that only those with a token were allowed to sit there. When a large number of people attended, there could be more than one sitting at the table. Tokens were stamped with the number of the “sitting” the member was required to attend, and the sittings could be linked to the social status of the communicant. Those of the “lower orders” could have to attend in the “wee sma' hours” whereas those considered more respectable attended later in the day.
The earliest tokens were usually made of lead, copper or tin, and cast in a mould or struck with a punch in a variety of shapes and sizes. The collection in Dunblane Museum has many rectangular, square and circular tokens but there are also more unusual shapes such as hexagonal, oval or heart-shaped.
Our oldest dated token has the initials C P and the date 1648 on it. Early tokens tend to be plain with very little information on them apart from a date and initials representing either the minister or the parish name. Later tokens started to show their connection with the communion when biblical texts would be impressed on them such as “Do this in remembrance of me” and “Let a man examine himself”. Symbols including the vine, lily, sun, fish etc. also began to appear.
The supply of tokens was the responsibility of the minister, acting in conjunction with the Kirk Session. Tokens were made for use in one church and not intended to circulate, but they did. Most churches had “alien” tokens in their Communion bags. People took them with them when they went to a new parish as a sign of their good character.
They also emigrated across the world, for example to the USA and Canada. Ministers who emigrated often took the tokens with them. Tokens in our cabinets represent Presbyterian Church of Scotland denominations in Scotland, Ireland and England as well as Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, U.S.A., South Africa and South America.
The Rev. John Barclay, minister at the Cathedral 1870-1871, ended the practice of using metal communion tokens in Dunblane and they were superseded by printed cards.
