The Zellwood Historical Society announced its acquisition of a one-quart milk token from Sydonie Dairy in a Sept. 28 press release. 

“This token is a tangible piece of Zellwood’s heritage,” ZHS board secretary Bryce Carson said. “We’re proud to add it to the Historical Society’s collection and to share its story with our community.” 

Carson discovered the aluminum token, which reads “GOOD FOR ONE QUART” on one side and “SYDONIE DAIRY” on the other, while metal detecting what was once Sydonie Dairy. He has also discovered a 100-year-old milk bucket and pieces of milk bottles on the property. 

According to historical records, James Laughlin Jr., heir to the Pittsburgh steel fortune, built the sprawling Sydonie Estate in 1895. The property included a state-of-the-art dairy farm that supplied fresh milk, cream, and butter to the estate and possibly to nearby residents. Tokens like the one just discovered were commonly used at dairies of the era to redeem prepaid milk deliveries. 

“This small token tells a big story,” ZHS board president Charles Grinnell Jr. said. “It connects today’s residents with Zellwood’s agricultural past and highlights the sophistication of the Sydonie Estate, which boasted one of the finest private dairies in Florida at the turn of the 20th century.” 

The token will be catalogued into the Historical Society’s permanent collection and displayed in upcoming exhibits on Zellwood’s early agricultural history. The society also plans to collaborate with state and national token-collecting organizations to register the artifact officially, including tokencatalog.com and the Florida Token Society.