Louis XV jeton, Optimo Principi 1744

[bagerap]

I wasn't expecting to have a problem with this even though it was unusually small, 24 mm. It was only on closer examination that i spotted that the obverse legend was off set.

Usually the top of the king's head comes between FR & ET NAV REX.

In this case it comes betwixt ET & NAV.

Anyone come across this before? I'm assuming that it is a Nuremberg copy.

 

 

[constanius]

I made a composite image of all the types in Hennin. #180 is signed IC Reich, #181 is signed Reich, #182 though unsigned is a Nuremberg issue.

 

Hennin only shows an image of 181(the last one in my illustration) but uses it for 182 as well, but 181 uses LVD and 182 uses LUD, so different obverses, also the statue faces right on 181 and left on 182. 182 is a lot cruder. Doing a Google image search for OPTIMO PRINCIPI JETON, 182 is the most common, though there seems to be more than one variety. He also,though he includes 181 and 182 with the others in 1870, he doubts that date. None of the many varieties of 182 seem to have "comes betwixt ET & NAV" spacing though.

 

 

"181 The reverse of this variety, bearing the date 1744 had probably served for another prince, and has been erroneously used for this token. One might also think that certain coin was minted during the reign of Louis XVI, prior to the time of the revolution. It would be impossible to have exact information on these German chips, and the uncertainty of the exact date of it and the next, I thought it best to publish them by classifying them. then, with the first pieces of the same nature which occur in chronological order. Reich is the name of the manufacturer of this piece [24mm]

182 optimo principi (To the best of princes). equestrian statue on its pedestal, left. Highlighted: mdccxliiii. [24mm]"

So yours is probably just a variant of Hennin#182, probably also by Reich and 24mm is the correct size.

[bagerap]

Thanks Pat, I did something very similar. Mine is however unsigned and has a portrait that does not match with any other jeton of this type.

[constanius]

I agree yours appears to be unique.

 

The general description for #182(alas no image), unsigned, statue left, LUD, Roman numerals for date, and size all fit and it is the only one in Henin that matches all that.

 

There appear to be numerous examples that fit that description so I suspect that these were struck for many years.

 

Mitchiner might have a match, I have no access to that though I wish I had, I think Ian has a copy, hopefully he will see your post Bob.