18.3 mm, 2 g, brass outer pearl circle, face value 1 LEU	outer linear circle, inscription CONSUMUL MUNCITORILOR DIN VALEA JIULUI ✽ PETROŞANI ✽ meaning "WORKER CONSUME OF THE JIU VALLEY" - Petroşani is an important miner city in the county of Hunedoara on river Jiu
18.5 mm, ? g, brass, octagon outer pearl circle, face value 5 LEI	outer linear circle, inscription CONSUMUL MUNCITORILOR DIN VALEA JIULUI ✽ PETROŞANI ✽ meaning "WORKER CONSUME OF THE JIU VALLEY"
20 mm, 2.59 g, brass outer pearl circle, face value 10 LEI	outer linear circle, inscription CONSUMUL MUNCITORILOR DIN VALEA JIULUI ✽ PETROSANI ✽ meaning "WORKER CONSUME OF THE JIU VALLEY"

Before the First World War, the coal in the Jiu Valley was exploited by the Salgó-Tarjáni company in Budapest. In 1920, with the support of some Romanian and Hungarian banks, Petroşani S.A.R. was established (Societatea Anonimă Română Petroşani), which took over the material heritage in the Jiu Valley from the old Salgó-Tarjáni company. The new company was the largest mining operation in interwar Romania. The company used electric trams and locomotives powered by compressed air! In 1926, Petroşani S.A.R. had 5,000 houses units for workers, as well as consumer stores [2].

The Consume of Workers from Valea Jiului S.A. (The Romanian Joint-Stock Workers' Consume Society of Valea Jiului) issued tokens during the interwar period, used in its own stores in Petroşani and also other mining towns in the area. The shops were located in commercial spaces belonging to the anonymous company "Petroşani" [2]. The capital of "Workers' Consume" was 3 million lei [2], half of which was paid by the company "Petroşani" and the rest by its employees. According to [1], the company was founded in 1923, and the tokens were used until May 29, 1931. As you can see, there was a close connection between the mining company "Petroşani" and "Consumul muncitorilor din Valea Jiului".

Pictures of the first token originated from E-bay. Pictures of a 10 lei token were present on this site through the kind permission of Mr. Balazs Aldor.

References

1. Schäffer E., România. Jetoane, semne valorice şi mărci, Guttenbrun, 2012.

2. * * *, Petroşani. Almanach Argus, 1927, p. 371.