COMMUNION TOKENS OF SOUTH-EASTERN BORDER 113 



The plates which accompany this paper are exact representa- 

 tions of most of the older tokens of the district. They have 

 been executed with great care and fidelity. I have figured only 

 one or two of the more modern ones, as there is a general same- 

 ness in them all, and they are mostly devoid of the individual 

 character which the older examples possess. Great difficulty 

 has been experienced in obtaining specimens of certain of these 

 older tokens to figure and describe. A few of them are almost 

 unique, and I have come on traces of several which I have not 

 been able to procure even the loan of. 



Most of the Secession Tokens and of those of the United 

 Presbyterian Church have already been described by the Rev. 

 Robert Dick in his " Communion Tokens of the United Presby- 

 terian Church," and while I have figured a few of the older 

 Secession Tokens of the district, I have described only one 

 which he has omitted. The Free Church Tokens I have not 

 dealt with as being of quite modern date and without special 

 features of interest. 



It seemed desirable to catalogue and figure, while it can still 

 be done, in the Transactions of our Club, which concerns itself 

 with every antiquarian subject connected with the Borders, 

 these interesting memorials, for they are fast disappearing, and 

 every year they are more difficult to obtain. They are 

 surrounded with holy associations, and are to be regarded with a 

 special reverence, and their outward appearance is worthy of 

 being rescued from oblivion. It may be hoped that the appear- 

 ance of this paper will lead to the more careful preservation of 

 those which still remain. 



I have to express grateful acknowledgments to ministers and 

 others who have with much readiness given or lent me tokens, 

 especially to Mr John Ferguson, Duns; Dr C. B. Gunn, Peebles; 

 and Mrs Wood, Galashiels, who placed the collection of her late 

 husband at my disposal. By their kind assistance I am able to 

 describe tokens of almost every parish in the Presbyteries of 

 Kelso, Jedburgh, Earlston, Duns, Chirnside, Selkirk, and 

 Peebles. 



