Prints commemorate anniversary

Valley Life editor

In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Matanuska Colony Project, a special commemorative print is being released that features art from the great-grandson of Don L. Irwin, who helped establish the project.

Norman Odsather's print depicts the Colonists at the trading post. The framed print also has open slots where people can put "bingles," the currency issued to Colonists at the time. Another version of the print has the bingles printed on it.

The money raised through the sale of the prints goes to help with the 70th reunion of the Colonists, planned for this June as part of the Colony Days celebration in downtown Palmer.

"They are really, really nice prints," said Wayne Bouwens, who is helping market the prints for the Palmer Historical Society.

The prints are available in both black and white and color, and with both silver and gold frame options. Prices range from $58 to $112, depending on size and preferences.

Each Colonist was issued $30 in bingles, and $5 for each child, so that there would be no open charge accounts at the co-op trading post. In 1985, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Matanuska Colonist Project, reproduction coins were restruck from the original dies, which were found in Washington by James Tapscott.

For more information about the prints, or to order one, interested people can call Bouwens at 745-3681.

About bingles

The tokens came in eight denominations. The one-, five-, 10-, 25- and 50-cent pieces and $1 tokens were aluminum, and the $5 and $10 tokens were brass.

Today, a complete set of original ARRC bingles would go for about $675 if in good condition, Roy Brown of Roy's Coins said a couple years ago. Brown said there were various other tokens produced in Alaska, some which have become collector's items. But the ARRC token is the most famous and rated in most coin books because of the Matanuska Colony's prominent place in the history of the New Deal era.

"The ARRC token is rated by all coin collectors," Brown said, "most of the Alaskan tokens we have, you'd have to be a token collector to be interested." Brown also said the ARRC coins are getting harder to find.

"I've had 12 or 15 sets in at one time, but now I just can't find them," he said.

Some coin references claim that bingles were in use for only about six months during 1935 and 1936 after which they were redeemed for regular U.S. money and supposedly destroyed.

Each token is the size of the corresponding U. S. coin with the exception of the one-cent piece, which is octagonal. The design is the same on both sides of each denomination.

One collector's manual claims there were 5,000 struck of the one cent through dime, 3,000 of the quarter, 2,500 of the half dollar and dollar, and 1,000 each of the $5 and $10 tokens.

In 1985, sets of commemorative bingles were stamped to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the colony. The commemorative tokens are easy to spot because instead of being stamped with two identical sides they have a "tales" side that reads: "Matanuska Valley Alaska, Colony Project 50th Anniversary, 1935-1985."