An example in silver of the jeton issued for the `Artillerie' administration. Its theme celebrates the taking of the town of Kehl on the 9th March 1704 by the French under De Villars. The obverse depicts Louis August de Bourbon, Duc du Mayne and Grand Maitre de L'Artillerie (as head honcho of the French Artillery Corps). The reverse depicts an artillery battery in the process of bombarding the town in the distance. I've seen this jeton in bronze (its referenced as Feuardent 1026) on a number of occasions, but this is the first one i've actually come across in silver. It looks to have had a light gold plating at one time but it is definitely silver as opposed to silver plated base metal (as often found with some `silver' jetons).
My typo Aidan. It should read `Kehl' and not `Kehls'. Kehl is now a suburb of Strasbourg. At the time it was a town on the other side of the river from Strasbourg.
Was this before or after the rout of the French at Blenheim? LOL, I guess they needed to celebrate something that year. It was all downhill after that.
There are a number of jetons in a similar vein which in hindsight, I bet the French wish they had never issued. For example, the siege of Mont Medy, Lorraine, where a 30,000 strong French army led by the sun king himself (Louis XIV) was held at bay for 57 days by a sum total of 757 defenders. Here's the jeton that was issued to celebrate that historic `victory'. It's a bit like the Persians having the brass neck to issue a jeton for their historic `victory' at Thermopylae against such overwhelming odds..... The three triffid-like things are supposed to be giant `fleur de lis' symbolising that France was now rooted in Mont Medy. A weed by any other name ?
The inhabitants of Kehl will be surprised. Strasbourg = France Kehl = Germany Some people may be having funny ideas of a united Europe, but we ain't that united yet.
Are these jetons offical issues of the french goverment, or privately produced (like nuremberg issues)
The two jetons shown were commissioned by the Royal administrations involved (Artillery and Kings Counsel) and minted at La Monnaie, Paris. It is important to mention that many (not all) of Nurenberg jetons were also specifically commissioned by and for the various royal administrations (ie `official'). Nurenberg types were however mainly used for reckoning counters as opposed to the grace and favour type `honorarium' jetons produced by La Monnaie.
OK ok ok...so political boundaries have moved yet again. Right then for the sake of accuracy....it WAS a suburb of Strasbourg..... up until 1953 when it was transferred to the FRD. PS: That is within my lifetime! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehl Ian
