St Omer (Artois)

[Ian]

Here's two different pieces from St Omer (latin name `Odomarensis') a town in the Artois region, Northern France)

 

The first is a fairly hard to find copper mereau (token) of 12 deniers struck in 1526 for use in the cathedral.

 

 

The second was issued in 1730 for Bishop Joseph Alphons de Valbelle. Not sure if the depiction of `lady luck' on the reverse was a particularly good PR decision . Given that the reverse is dated 1723, i'm still trying to figure out what earlier jeton that reverse also appeared on.

Although i have seen a few of these jetons appear on the market very recently (four to be exact), the jeton is actually quite scarce. This one was actually the highest grade of those available on the market......and to my good fortune...it was also the cheapest.

 

 

 

[Art1.2]

Nice jetons Ian. "Lady Luck" does seem a strange motif for a Bishop.

[frank]

Love the méreau, Ian. As for Fortuna, here's a Swiss medal from 1554 with a similar pose (which may well be taken from antiquity): http://www.historischesmuseumbasel.ch/fr/sammlung/muenzen-und-medaillen/16111-allegorische-medaille-auf-das-glueck.html

 

And here's a Nuremburg jeton, probably from the 17th century:

 

[Ian]

Hi Frank. \Interesting legends on that Nurenberg jeton `Fortuna Variabilis' ...lluck may vary. A bit like the cautions given by financial advisors these days. `The value of your investments may fall as well as totally plummet through the floor".

 

|it seems to be the French who have a penchant for perching Fortuna on a wheel as if she were a monocyclist. There's a couple of silver jetons i i have for `La Fortune' a french assurance company in the mid 1800's which depict a less scantily clad Fortuna but still doing her balancing act on a wheel.

[frank]

Google is the emblematist's dream. The wheel was associated with Fortuna in Roman times, but I can't find any pix of statues to show it. But lots of engravings from later on seem to indicate that the French, odd though they be, weren't alone:

 

 

Carmina Burana manuscript, 13th c. --the artist may well have been French here, though!

 

 

German, end of 15th c.

 

 

I can't find the origin of this Tarot card, but I'm guessing German / Northern Europe...

 

[later edit: I had forgotten about Roman coins...:]

 

[ccg]

Of the 12d piece, I take that it was a common amount to give?

[Ian]

I'm not 100% sure, but It might have been used in expressing appreciation (payment).for a baptism or other such service /blessing.

 

edit:

 

Perhaps should have made mention of the `deniers d'epouse' here. A subject all unto its own but linked to your question.

 

In older times the `cost' normally associated with a priest performing the marriage ceremony was thirteen deniers (also known as a `trezaine'). Originally it would have been thriteen silver deniers, but over time this became thirteen silver tokens specially minted for the process and normally presented to the priest in a little box or a small purse. these small silver jetons are quite difficult to come by and are highly collectable. Later, the tradition changed and medalets / jetons were minted moreto commemorate the wedding than as payment to the priest....the church favouring hard cash. Constanius has recently posted a jeton de marriage ( i can't remember which exact one but it would have been minted somewhere between 1860 and 1880). The origins of his one lies in the history / tradition of the deniers d'epouse.

 

Ian