Hello all. I am looking to purchase 1600s French Jetons that depict UFOs. Does anybody have any? I have been looking for over a year to no avail.

If anybody has some, please post pictures. Will pay cash. Thanks-

Ken Bressett has the first one I have "seen" on the net.

A French dealer had one in his listings and I emailed twice expressing a wish to purchase it.

My emails were apparently ignored because I did not receive even an acknowledgement, let alone a reply.

Good luck finding one!

These are currently in unusually high demand....and all because a celestial shield has been seen by one or two cranks to be examples of `UFO's'.

Jean Elsen (Belgium) recently had a couple in his catalogue. I don't have one of the `shield' type but I do have a couple of examples of the UFO tracking station at Lyon in France if they would be of any use to you. I can let you have one for the princely sum of one arm, one leg, and one left testicle.....or some more suitable form of financial settlement

"one left testicle"

... ouch...

and this sounds interesting..never knew that jetons had pictures of ufos on them. but the reasonable explanation is what Ian said "a celestial shield has been seen by one or two cranks to be examples of `UFO's'."

and btw nice jeton you got there Ian

Here is a picture of Ken Bressett's jeton (believed made about 1680).

The Latin legend "OPPORTUNUS ADEST" translates as "It is here at an opportune time."

Whatever "it" is, is not entirely clear.

Is Ken Bressett's available for sale? Not willing to give up the testicle, maybe some money will suffice.

Let me know thanks

You'd have to ask him. I don't know what his plans are for it.

Ken bresset's example is a bit late on the chain of these `shield' type jetons.

For example here's one with the exact same design which predates Ken Bresset's example by some 24 years.

http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/jetons/j18/gb/m...7&nbfic=725

Here's another from a different region of France showing the `shield' in action

http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/jetons/j17/imag....html?depart=21

"There are quite a few `out there' Skully" .......but there's nothing `ufo' about any of them.

Ian

I really hesitate to throw my example into the mix, but:



I don't have much use for more testicles than I already have, but money is always useful. However, my jeton is not for sale today. The image is definitely a "celestial" shield. I'm not sure I could easily relocate a cgb image of one such shield leaning against a wall with some weapons illustrated on a spectacular jeton. It is in one of their auctions (not the jeton catalogs) and it went for something between $500 and $1000 if I remember right. It is a spectacular piece. I will post a link if I stumble across it again.

The opportune time refers to the battle of Troy when the gods threw down a "celestial shield" at an opportune time. That is a much too short reference to a much longer story. In any event, French symbolism drew heavily on the legends of Troy, etc. in the 1600s.

I just couldn't resist -- I'm putting this coin up for sale on FleaBay. Calling all UFO buffs.



This jeton now for sale on eBay:
UFO shield

The shield represents the defense of Burgundy against the various armies running around France during the Fronde (nobles' revolt during the regency of the young Louis XIV). The orientation of the design --with the shield on the bottom, with arrows raining from the heavens-- is as presented on the cgb.fr site, but you could always convince someone that the motto around the edge has no clear start and finish, that the intended orientation isn't clear, and that the UFO should really be up in the air, with the poor French peasants shooting arrows at it.

That is a nifty UFO

"Take me to your leader. I come in peace."