"Busty Betty" Token

Example and images courtesy Don Sucha

There are examples of this type of novelty tokens dating back to the late 19th century, when they were considered much more bawdy and offensive than they are today. Named for obvious reasons, they always depict a woman naked from the waist up on the obverse and naked from the waist down on the reverse. "Busty Betty" tokens from the Second World War often show a great deal of wear, supposedly from their owners (soldiers) rubbing them for luck (see example below). The example above is from this time period and belonged to a Canadian serviceman. It is 25mm in diameter and made of steel. Here the obverse appears to be almost reminiscent of French Cabarets of the 1930s and 40s while the reverse is equally beautiful from an artistic point of view.

These tokens are still produced today, but the modern ones are usually made of aluminum or plastic and not nearly as well designed or crafted as this example.​

Example and images courtesy Zach Watson