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If you are interested in buying items like these tokens, some are available at our shop. Visit CaveCollectables on Etsy or click on the link above.
The Guardians themselves never indulged in selling any kind of merchandise and it is thought that they have always been funded by wealthy members of the ‘Families’
The only objects that can be traced directly back to the Guardians are the ‘Family’ Tokens which are still given out by each Guardian to new members and the Visiting Tokens left as a record and reminder of Guardian activity. These regularly come into the possession of members of the public and high highly prized by collectors. Some examples of these Tokens are available at our CaveCollectables shop on the Etsy website.
Family Tokens and Sigils
From the very beginning the Guardians used Tokens engraved with the Sigils to identify the members of their Families. Each family has a specific Sigil associated with it and a Sigil Token was given to each new member when they were recruited. To give all the Tokens a special identity each one has been numbered using Roman Numerals.
This is a Token from the Shepherdess Family, also showing the GC emblem which is always used on the reverse. The Tokens are made of copper sheet which has been cut and prepared by hand. The Sigil, numerals and emblem have been etched into the copper.
The original Guardians held the first Tokens of each Sigil numbered 1, then as time passed the first Tokens were handed down to their successor who in turn passed it on. This is why the Sigil Tokens numbered 1 have never been seen and are still understood to be held by the current Guardians who are active today.
The Sigil Tokens with numbers from 11 (2) onwards became redundant when the owner passed away. These Tokens are often kept by their ancestors as heirlooms but quite often they come into hands of the public and are quite sought after.
This is a Token with the Jester Sigil. The tokens are about 30mm square and are finished with a lacquer. It is quite common for the Tokens to be customised, the lower numbers and customised Tokens are generally more sought after by collectors.
The full list of the Families and their associated Sigils is as follows: the Shepherdess has the Crook, The Carpenter – the Saw Teeth, The Forester – the Tree, The Candlemaker – the Candlestick, The Gravedigger – the spade, The Herbalist – the Sprig of Herbs, The Hunter – the Arrow Head, The Innkeeper – the Cup and Bottle, The Jester – the Jester’s Hat, The Minstrel – the Lute, The Rat Catcher – the Rat, The Scribe – The ink Bottle and Quill, The Weaver – the Weft and Warp and lastly the The Lost Guardian has the Water Sigil.
This is a Token with the Arrow Head Sigil of the Hunter Family and the Roman numerals DXXV or 705.
Visiting Tokens
This is an example of what is known as a Visitors Token. These were commonly left by the Guardians in towns and villages where Guardians had had some influence on the lives of the population, or indeed to remind people that The Guardians of the Cave where there if needed.
The Guardians of the Cave 