112 COMMUNION TOKENS OF SOUTH-EASTERN BORDER 



dispersed over the adjoining district ; and the kirk session 

 would desire to introduce a new set of tokens from time to time 

 iu order to render unavailable the old ones, which might be 

 improperly used. Thus in the parish of Ednam, on Sept. 2nd 

 1694, "4 lb. 4 shill. Scotes were giuen to James Young, smith, 

 for the comunion tokens," and on July 13th 1696, 1 lb. 16 sh. 

 were paid "for renewing the tokens;" and it must have'been 

 very soon after this that these 1696 tokens were again re- 

 stamped in the form in which they still exist. In Eckford 

 tokens were struck in 1696, in 1702, in 1728, and in 1735; and 

 specimens of each issue still remain. In Longformacus there 

 are four distinct tokens which do not seem to differ very much 

 in point of age. In some parishes it would appear that a new 

 set of tokens was struck on a change of incumbency, as can be 

 made out by the minister's initials and the date. 



The following is an extract from a paper by Mr W. Ivison 

 Macadam, F.C.S., Analytical Chemist and Lecturer on Chemistry, 

 Edinburgh, which appeared in the Proceedings of the Scottish 

 Society of Antiquaries: — 



"The metal of which the earlier tokens were made was lead, 

 and from the year 1700 to 1745 this metal was almost exclusive- 

 ly employed, and until the year 1800 is commonly met with. 

 In the west of Scotland more particularly tin was mixed along 

 with the lead. The tokens made of the mixed metals are in a 

 fair state of preservation, retaining most of the sharp lines. 

 By means of this alloy a more durable and fast impression was 

 obtained than could be hoped for from a soft metal such as 

 lead, and at the same time the colour is changed from a dull 

 blue to a silver white. The amount of tin employed varied 

 much, as will be seen from the following analysis : — 



Leith New Canon- North Kil- 



Kinross Kirk Kilbarchan gate Leith malcolm 



1747 1776 1783 1813 1816 1819 



Lead 

 Tin 



62-74 

 37-26 



37-01 

 62-99 



19 37 

 80-63 



84-71 

 15-29 



52 04 

 47-96 



46-31 

 53-69 



10000 



100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



100 00 



100-00 



The material tin is sometimes employed alone, but the tokens 

 obtained are never so sharp in the lines or so finely cut as when 

 an admixture of lead has been worked with." 



