Price reduction 1650 Saint Lamberts "Skull " token

alexerca

********1 of 5 different styles of "Skull "communion tokens issued by St Lamberts cathedral . Pcgs has around 20 of these. This one is the only xf40 in the population. $575 delivered

braddick

That is cool!

braddick

A bit more information regarding this cool token, for those interested:
https://commodorecoins.com/treasure-blog/an-in-depth-look-into-saint-lamberts-communion-tokens/

alexerca

Thanks everyone for your added information. I always liked this piece but time in my life to start downsizing!

PeakRarities

@braddick said:

A bit more information regarding this cool token, for those interested:
https://commodorecoins.com/treasure-blog/an-in-depth-look-into-saint-lamberts-communion-tokens/

Thanks @Braddick. I hope no one minds if I post a snippet of the text here, the backround color on that website is very off putting and it strains my eyes trying to read the text. Fascinating item, GLWS!

A Fascinating Look Into Saint Lambert’s Communion Tokens
Posted November 7, 2023 by commodorecoins
As an avid coin collector and history buff, I am always fascinated by the designs and artistry of coins and tokens, their countries of origin, and the stories about them. The purpose of this article is to explore one of the most fascinating tokens ever made – Saint Lambert’s Cathedral Communion Tokens, also known as Memento Mori tokens. In order to fully appreciate these beautiful and rare tokens, one needs to know a little bit about church history, what the symbols on the tokens represent, and why they were made. So let’s dive in!
Why Were Communion Tokens Made?
In the mid 1500’s and during the reformation, French Huguenots and Scottish Presbyterians began implementing the use of communion tokens, known in old French as méreau or méreaux . The word méreau comes from the Latin word “ merere ”, meaning to deserve or deserving. After abolition of the Edict of Nantes, Calvinists provided méreaux to their members traveling to other Calvinist communities to distinguish them from Catholic spies. Méreaux entitled their bearers to a Holy Communion and were collected by the priest serving the Communion.
These tokens were also used in churches as a symbol that a parishioner needed to pass a personal spiritual examination of their life prior to taking communion. This was an act of devotion and to heed the warning written in the book of 1 Corinthians 11:23-31 , which states: “ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment .”
Even though communion tokens were used as a means to reflect on the eventuality of death, ministers of the gospel were also responsible to encourage their congregation and share the positive aspects of the faith as well as the promises that a follower of Christ is destined to inherit .
Latin – The Language of The Church
During the period Saint Lambert communion tokens were used, the universal language of the Roman Catholic church was Latin. In Latin, there are three very important phrases that were instrumental to the faith, one is “ gratia estis salvati ” which means “ By grace you are saved ”. This comes from the book of Ephesians 2:8-9 which says: “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. ” The second phrase is “ donum dei vita aeterna per Iesum Christum ”, which means “ the gift of god is eternal life through Jesus Christ ”. This comes from the book of Romans 6:23 , which says: “ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord .”
The third sentence, which likely had some influence in the design of the tokens is “A bsorpta est mors in Victoria ”, which means “ Death has been swallowed up in victory ”. This phrase comes from the book of 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 , which says: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory .” “ Where, O death, is your victory?” Where, O death, is your sting ?”

Before taking communion, the elders of the church would interview each person and distribute the tokens to those who prepared their hearts to receive it. Prior to taking the communion elements (typically bread and wine), the believer would give the token to the minister. In addition to being used for communion, these tokens were also likely used during the feast day celebrations commemorating the anniversary of St. Lambert’s remains being placed in the cathedral at Liège.
At least four out of the five Saint Lambert tokens were made while Maximilian Henry of Bavaria (1621 – 1688) was the Bishop of Liège. In 1650, he was named Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Bishop of Hildesheim and Bishop of Liège. He worked throughout his career with the French to limit the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, and participated in the Franco-Dutch War on the opposite side from the Empire.
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an ecclesiastical principality (territory ruled by a bishop as a prince) of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as its prince, had a seat and a vote in the Imperial Diet (the deliberative body of the Holy Roman Empire). The Prince-Bishopric of Liège should not be confused with the Diocese of Liège, which was larger and over which the prince-bishop exercised only the usual responsibilities of a bishop. For more information on Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Henry_of_Bavaria  For more information on The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Prince-Bishopric_of_Li%C3%A8ge