The communion tokens collection is housed in one small artifact box. The tokens are well-preserved and several include inscriptions. This collection mostly contains tokens from Scotland, but there are also examples of Australia, Canada, England, and Ireland. For a complete inventory, see the container list below, which contains the contents of its obverse and reverse, as well as its origin, reference, and date.
Communion tokens were used in Reformed churches as a means of permissing people to participate in communion (the Lord's Supper). The practice of granting communion tokens dates back to the sixteenth century, and it allowed churches to regulate who was included and who was excluded from the ritual. These tokens were most frequently used in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, but they were also employed in many parts of the world where Reformed churches practiced closed communion.