bill Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Bronze jeton from the Middle Ages (ca. 1500???). 23mm, about 2 gms. Italian jetons were used for about three years at a time on behalf of Italian commercial companies and of the bankers or "lombards". Companies in financial venture capital lasted three years and shared profits or losses. The creation of a new company brought the striking of méreaux of account or "quarteruoli" and these seem extremely varied and numerous. CGB shows this jeton oriented as shown here on their web site and upside down in their printed catalog. Without knowing which family the design represents, it is impossible to tell how it should be oriented. These jetons are attributed to the Middle Ages. I am unsure of an exact date. I find the design interesting even if I can't tell much more about the history of the piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 Hi Bill "Jetons were not used over a long period in Italy. In 1202 a revolutionary new book on mathematics appeared, the Liber Abaci, by Leonardo Fibonacci, better known as Leonardo of Pisa. The word "Abaci" in the title refers only to calculation in general and not to the use of the abacus. On the contrary, in this book he introduced the modern algebra with the new Arabic numerals. The use of the abacus disappeared very quickly in Italy. In 1299, the merchants of Florence were forbidden to keep their books "in abaco" and were ordered to use figures. The last Italian jetons were struck in the 14th century." This qoute is from: Jetons: Their Use and History by BERT VAN BEEK for the Chicago Coin Club. This would seem to make your jeton date from the 1300's. It looks like a stylized flower to me so I think you have it the right way up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 The jeton is from Florence & it is a flower depicted. Florentia (the flourishing, to flower, to bloom) was the Roman name for the city, & the flower is used on the jeton as a symbol for Florence. LINK where 3 types are illustrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted October 4, 2010 Report Share Posted October 4, 2010 "... In 1202 a revolutionary new book on mathematics appeared, the Liber Abaci, by Leonardo Fibonacci, better known as Leonardo of Pisa. ... The jeton is from Florence & it is a flower depicted. Thanks! Those details fit better the history that I know from research over the past few years. I almost checked Liber Abaci out from the library, but I have enough going on right now. One thing, though, the problems I read had to do with calculating compound interest. That would raise some questions about the reality of "usury" and proscriptions against it. But, all of that for different forum topic... Bronze jeton from the Middle Ages (ca. 1500???). I know that when "ages" begin and end can be arbitrary, but I would end the Middle Ages at 1450 or so. The Fall of Constantinople and the invention of the movable type press would be two markers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted October 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2010 The jeton is from Florence & it is a flower depicted. Florentia (the flourishing, to flower, to bloom) was the Roman name for the city, & the flower is used on the jeton as a symbol for Florence. Thank you for the helpful update and reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.