Elongated coins are a collectable unto themselves.
Today there are literally thousands of different designs available to collectors.
They are produced for every imaginable reason such as for advertising purposes, souvenirs to theme parks, to commemorate an event, religious messages, etc., etc., etc. Although they are made on every denomination, the cent is the most often used medium for elongated coins. Even though an example of an elongated coin was produced some years earlier, it is generally accepted that these tokens were first made during the 1892-1893 World's Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago, Illinois to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. There were four different designs utilized during that event. Pictured here are two of those designs.