frank

Pat, you obviously do your research full-time. Most impressive. I love learning about what you've found.

Very interesting!

Way to go Constanius! I must sheepishly admit that after your mention of Cappadocia, I was convinced the medal was from a monastery in Turkey, and spent hours searching for that bit of architecture and the crowned figure.

I love it -- a beautiful artifact.

Lovely.

Great piece, Constanius! I love these old 15th-c. jetons -- there are so many odd variations. And it's not too difficult to find some in good shape.

Where will it all end?

Rouyer's # 1793 (p. 275 at http://archive.org/stream/cataloguedelaco00antigoog#page/n304/mode/2up ) is very close. I can't find an image of it anywhere. Copper, 31 mm, with slightly different abbreviations of mottoes. It's listed under "pièces diverses," i.e. he doesn't know where to categorize it.

A reply on the Italian site says that jeton is 16th century Venetian: E' una tessera-medaglia del XVI sec. della Scuola della Passione di Venezia. Ne esistono molti tipi con varianti nella legenda e con diversi diametri. Molte sono state pubblicate da Voltolina 1998-99 (vado a memoria perchè sono in vacanza, non ti posso citare la bibliografia esatta) Al D/ Cristo in Croce tra Maria e Giovanni, ai lati del cartiglio con INRI, il sole e la luna. ECCE M(ater) T(ua) ECCE FIL T Al R/ Cristo morto in pietà tra i simboli della passione. XPS FACT EST PRO NOB OBED VSQ A M In qualche esemplare al posto della M finale (Mortem) c'è un teschietto.

Very interesting -- a mix of various iconographical types. I found a somewhat similar jeton on an Italian site La Moneta: http://www.lamoneta.it/topic/49016-moneta-non-identificata/ (later edit: I had to sign in with Google to be allowed access to the images!) The abbreviated text on the reverse is taken from an adaptation of Philippians 2.8: Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis, "Christ was made [by God] for us, obedient even unto death, even death upon the cross." This phrase was an integral part of the medieval mass. Feuardent lists a jeton with a very similar reverse as #4012 (listed under "Eglises de Paris" under a subheading "Jetons with mottoes and figures of the gros tournois or denier tournois, St Louis type") (The obverse has designs like a gros tournois). He states that he's really not at all sure that this subheading group really belongs under "Eglises de Paris," that some may have been produced outside of France, and that they may have been produced as amulets for fishermen, who were known to prefer medalets of this type.

They've finally caught me...

Beautiful coin!

Here's a link to an online copy Rouyer's 19th-century book on jetons. It's in French but you can search for specific mottoes. http://archive.org/stream/histoiredujeton00huchgoog#page/n49/mode/2up There really is enormous variation in these early jetons.

Hans Lauffer (Nuremberg), 17th century. https://sites.google.com/site/lesjetonsdecomptes/jeton-au-cheval

Old silver and copper, Fine - XF condition, with patina. French jetons or other tokens that tell you about the society that produced them.

Jeton à l'écu de France. Here's an eBay listing: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRANCE-UNKNOWN-COIN-JETTON-TOKEN-/370803202013?pt=UK_Coins_European_RL&hash=item565597d7dd&nma=true&si=sG8duuqB8BLwOF5X%252B%252BxSOYDl%252FKA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I thought lead casts were only trials, given their softness?

Very neat, Constanius. A good man and a very interesting medal. (How rare is silvered cast lead?)

The view is from across the river. Most of the surrounding buildings don't survive.

I'm off to my grandmother's house to rip up all the carpets.

Good grief, they've really messed it up. I just spent 20 minutes trying to search for specific medals in the collection and got nowhere. It does note that the site is "under construction," but that doesn't mean the search functions have to be so onerous. I'll give it a try again in a bit when I have more time. Is there any specific piece you're looking for? It might help focus the search.

Hi -- I'd be happy to help if I can. Let me know what you're looking for.

Love the medal, Ian!

Well done Pat. These XV century French jetons are known by their different obverses (crown, lamb of God, king's portrait, etc.). This one is a jeton "à l'écu de France." I'm looking in Feuardent for the catalogue number.

Most entertaining.