The French `jeton de presence' was used as a means of token payment for such things as attendance at meetings, or sitting on committees commissioned by the Government or issued as tokens of appreciation by the various offices of state including the royal households. As such the scope for these is immense. Some bodies issuing only one, others issuing a different jeton each year and over a period sometimes exceeding a century.

Although there is an ever growing band of `jeton collectors', these items are generally still mostly unheard of outside of France. I have been collecting them now for some five years or so and have been fascinated by the historical and cultural backdrop to most of these little gems. It has to be said that their individual mintages are generally numbered in the lower thousands (with some few exceptions), so none of them are exactly `common' in numismatic terms. However that does not mean that they are expensive either. Sure, many are hyper scarce and will cost a pretty penny, but there are real beauties out there that can be had for a song. I'm pretty sure that the collecting fraternity will one day waken up to this particular `sleeper' hence the reason why I grab as many as I can. :-)

Here's one that arrived with me just this morning. A jeton designed for the Guild of Master Masons by Duvivier circa 1780 and struck at La Monnaie, Paris. Note, this Guild was nothing to do with the `freemasons'. Another thing to be considered about these items is that they were produced when silver was the basis of the currency unit. Many of these `jetons' did indeed change hands in exchange for goods or services even though not exactly strictly `legal tender'.

The second one in this post is a more modern piece issued for one of the Maritime Insurance Companies. The item was, like most of this type. most probably issued to council members for attendance.

I had a friend who possesses a copy of Marvin's book on Masonic medals to take a look at the first jeton and his partial response was:



I'm fairly certain that Louis XVI wasn't a Mason but I might be mistaken about that. His brother, the Duc d'Orleans was the Grand Master of France at the time of the Revolution.

Would you class a 'mereaux' as a jeton, albeit early? (See my avatar)

Fascinating. The thinking in France is (I believe) that a secret society would not be as overt with their jetons, nor would a King be associated so directly as having his image on the obverse. This contradicts earlier thinking.
There is an earlier jeton same reverse but bearing the bust of Louis XV, probably circa 1740 -50. So if Marvin missed the Louis XVI one, he probably missed a couple of Louis XV too . Gadoury's 1991 catalogue lists three different busts with that same reverse under the category `Master Masons' and unfortunately `and masonic interests', giving the impression that it is connected to free masonery. I am of the view that the jeton lies more properly alongside such series as Experts des Batiments (du Roi).

I need to dig out my CGB catalogues as I recall Michel Prieur commenting along the lines that these items are not actually (free) masonic and that values of them had dropped off due to this. I haven't come across one with that reverse AND a Minerva bust. However, i've just posted a masonic piece with Minerva on it in the`Minerva' thread :-).