Gift from a generous Litesider. Who can help me with it? (French Louis XV silver jeton)

lordmarcovan

30mm or so. US half-dollar sized. Weak reeding on edge.

Sorry for the quick, crummy scans. I actually darkened the pics a little to reduce the glare. It's a nice white piece.

Now... what is it? I haven't gone a-Googling yet. The 2X2 I got it in said "1769(?)", though I don't know how that attribution was made.

"Protector of the French Academy"? "To Immortality"? To the the Immortality of the Protector of the French Academy (presumably Louis XV?) Long Live Louis XVI, Protector of the French Academy?



Whatever it is, I was tickled to get it. It's a neat item.

So- anybody have any ideas? Vern? Askari?

SYRACUSIAN

Protector of the French Academy"? "To Immortality"?


No idea about it, but the translation is correct.

SYRACUSIAN

It actually says Francoise instead of Francaise. It must be a mistake, Francoise, to my knowledge, is a name , not a word .

elverno

Afraid I can't help much. If there had been an engraver's initials I might have found something in Forrer. As it is it's a little too early for my other references. Nice piece though; you must have been a very good boy...

It was common through that period and even up to the present for royalty to at least be the titular head of cultural societies. In the case of the Royal Academy of Arts George III not only helped found it but personally paid off their debts when they went in the hole.

lordmarcovan

I notice it also says "ROY" instead of "ROI".

laurentyvan

Protector of the French Academy? Good translation. As to the spelling questions mentioned above, just remember, language is mutable.
Things change from siecle to siecle and that has a little of old French about it.

coinkat

LordM:

It is funny that you ask these questions because I have the same jeton and have always wanted to ask about this specific jeton here on the forum. While I have nothing to back this up, it looks to be a young portrait of Louis XV which means that perhaps this could be some type of jeton issued after the passing of Louis XIV and may be from the 1720-30 time frame. It is without question an early jeton after he became King.

lordmarcovan

Well, then... I guess we need to get this thing ID'ed, then!

Now I know mine ain't unique.

AuldFartte

WHAT ??? No hole ???

lordmarcovan

The Litesider in question is one of my holey protégés, so he keeps his holey coins for himself. He has his own holey coin hat (in his case, a baseball cap). In fact, he was the first person here on the forums to take up a holey coin project along the lines of what I do.

If that jeton had a hole, it would've been on his hat, not in my mailbox.

Aethelred

It reads "own this coin and live forever, sell it and your kidneys will fail."

coinkat

Well... I guess that settles that... mine is not for sale and hopefully my kidneys will not fail. Ignore the icon that I have... no one will know the difference anyway...

GDJMSP

The bust certainly looks much like the designs found on his coins of 1720-30, perhaps even a bit earlier. Louis XIIII was perhaps the greatest patron of the arts that France has ever known - so it fits that Louis XV step in to fill those shoes, which ties in with the time frame.

I know someone who could identify it for certain, but he's out of town right now. And as of tomorrow I will be too - but I'll be back by Mon. If you don't have an answer by then - I'll see if I can get ya one

lordmarcovan

TTT

GDJMSP, you're on. If your expert can attribute this one, I'd be most grateful.

Darkhorse

<< <i>I notice it also says "ROY" instead of "ROI". >>



could this be in a regional dialect?

Askari

A neat piece! Too early for me to know much about it, though. Spelling variations were common in most European languages until about 1900, so it's not all that surprising to see it on an 18th century piece.

oldshep

Things change from siecle to siecle and that has a little of old French about it.

siecle????
Shep

lordmarcovan

siecle=century.

GDJMSP

<< <i>TTT

GDJMSP, you're on. If your expert can attribute this one, I'd be most grateful. >>



Just got back last night - I'll forward the pics to my friend. May be a few days though as he is still away from home. But an answer will be forthcoming lord m

elverno

Maybe the seller of this one can help!

GDJMSP

<< <i>TTT

GDJMSP, you're on. If your expert can attribute this one, I'd be most grateful. >>




And here's your answer -

" That one is Feuardent #4377. Although it isn't signed, the engraver was Duvivier. I have no notation as to it's date of minting, but the bust type suggests circa 1750-60. I have other jetons which utilise that bust (bust no. 308) which bear different dates during that period.

There are a number with the same reverse, but with different bust designs. The legend within the reverse is `a l'immortalite' (to life immortal).

The obverse - Louis XV as the patron of L'Academie Francoise (Francaise as some jetons have it).

That particular bust is one of the more common type, a youthful Louis XV. Although worth maybe $40, I see that type going sometimes for around the $20 mark. Sometimes even less. A different bust usually means more $'s "

lordmarcovan

Thanks a ton- you're the man of the hour.

I was mentally figuring it as a $30 item, so I guess my gut instinct is to be trusted, after all.

lordmarcovan

To the Weekend Swap it shall go, then!