Obverse Design The legend "WING CHONG" curves along the top. The legend "YUEN & CO." is displayed across the middle of the token. There are scroll-like ornaments above and below this legend. The legend "COLON." curves along the bottom. The token has denticles along the edge and a smooth plain raised edge.
Reverse Design The legend "VALUE" curves along the top. The legend "CENTS." curves along the bottom. In the center is a large number 5 with rays coming out from it. By my count, there are a total of 48 rays - eight of the longest ones, eight medium size rays, and two shorter rays on either side of each long and medium-size ray. The token has denticles along the edge and a smooth plain raised edge.
Metal White metal, probably copper-nickel. Size and Shape Round, 20 mm in diameter.
Dates Issued Unknown, but before 1908. Perhaps issued in the mid-1880's.
Issurer Wing Chong Yuen and Company.
Mintage Unknown.
Rarity Common. Manufacturer Unknown. Source Asociación Numismático's F-298 (photo), Bernal #377, Eklund #1072 (photo), Henkle's Colon #47 (photo), Plumer page #10, Rulau's Col 70, Schimmel #21, Scott page #58 and Ulex Auction Catalog (1908) part of Lot #2241.
Varieties

There are three known different WING CHONG YUEN & CO. token designs, two uniface and one with a design on both sides. There is also a WING CHUNG YUEN (note the middle name is CHUNG, not CHONG). That token is both uniface and incuse, similar to the A. GROSSO COLON Y CHAGRE token.

Function Merchant token.
Population Count Twenty (20) specimens of this token in collector hands are known to me. Recent sales include:
  1. Auction sale on eBay on January 8, 2003 for $32 plus $1.25 shipping.
  2. Auction sale on eBay on November 22, 2002 for $30 plus $2 shipping.
  3. Auction sale on eBay on April 1, 2002 for $41.50 plus $2 shipping.
  4. Auction sale by Jerry Schimmel on September 16, 2001 for $25 in condition VG.
  5. Auction sale on eBay on June 19, 2001 for $30 plus $4 shipping.
Notes This is the most sophisticated of the three varieties due to the regular lettering and having a design on both the obverse and reverse. The radiant 5 was a design which was also used on two Colon tokens known to be from the 1880's, so this token may be from that same era. However WING CHONG YUEN and CO. does not appear in the Commercial Directory of the American Republics (1897-1898), so the firm may have been defunct by 1897.