Description
FRANCE Monneron Brothers 1792 Five Sols Token by Dupré, ⇵ Edge Inscription 27.83 grams 38mm Copper KM-TN28. Uncirculated
Obverse: soldiers swearing allegiance to France, who bears a copy of the French constitution in oval, exergue 14 JUILLET 1790, at sides VIVRE LIBRES OU MOURIR ("Live free or die"). DUPRE F. under shield with fleurs de lis. PACTE FEDERATIF above.
Reverse: REVOLUTION FRANÇAISE 1792, in center MEDAILLE QUI SE VEND CINQ-SOLS A PARIS CHEZ MONNERON PATENTÉ.
Edge: DEPARTEMENTS DE PARIS DE RHONE DE LOIRE ET DU GARD
Chronic shortages of small change not only affected Great Britain during the late 18th century, resulting in the Conder tokens produced by small businesses allowed them to continue their trade, but other places as well, such as the Monneron brothers of Paris who felt the pinch and produced their own coinage. The Monneron brothers in 1791 commissioned Matthew Boulton to use his new steam-driven coin presses to produce two and five sols pieces at his Soho Mint near Birmingham, England.
By 1791, Joseph-François-Augustin had founded a merchant bank in Paris backed financially by his brother Jean-Louis. Pierre-Antoine joined his two brothers and it is these three who became known as the Frères Monnerons. In the same year, Joseph-François-Augustin applied for and successfully obtained the right to strike copper token coinage. This right had however also been granted to other private individuals and it was perhaps to ensure the popularity of their own tokens over rival pieces that the Monneron Brothers chose designs from the greatest French engraver of the revolutionary era, Augustin Dupré (1748-1833). Born in Saint-Étienne, the birthplace of several notable engravers, Dupré had already made his name as a medallist of genius producing many fine medals commemorating the American War of Independence, before becoming the Engraver General of the French mints in 1791. Indeed it was he who had designed the official Constitutional issue of coinage struck from that year.
Obverse: soldiers swearing allegiance to France, who bears a copy of the French constitution in oval, exergue 14 JUILLET 1790, at sides VIVRE LIBRES OU MOURIR ("Live free or die"). DUPRE F. under shield with fleurs de lis. PACTE FEDERATIF above.
Reverse: REVOLUTION FRANÇAISE 1792, in center MEDAILLE QUI SE VEND CINQ-SOLS A PARIS CHEZ MONNERON PATENTÉ.
Edge: DEPARTEMENTS DE PARIS DE RHONE DE LOIRE ET DU GARD
Chronic shortages of small change not only affected Great Britain during the late 18th century, resulting in the Conder tokens produced by small businesses allowed them to continue their trade, but other places as well, such as the Monneron brothers of Paris who felt the pinch and produced their own coinage. The Monneron brothers in 1791 commissioned Matthew Boulton to use his new steam-driven coin presses to produce two and five sols pieces at his Soho Mint near Birmingham, England.
By 1791, Joseph-François-Augustin had founded a merchant bank in Paris backed financially by his brother Jean-Louis. Pierre-Antoine joined his two brothers and it is these three who became known as the Frères Monnerons. In the same year, Joseph-François-Augustin applied for and successfully obtained the right to strike copper token coinage. This right had however also been granted to other private individuals and it was perhaps to ensure the popularity of their own tokens over rival pieces that the Monneron Brothers chose designs from the greatest French engraver of the revolutionary era, Augustin Dupré (1748-1833). Born in Saint-Étienne, the birthplace of several notable engravers, Dupré had already made his name as a medallist of genius producing many fine medals commemorating the American War of Independence, before becoming the Engraver General of the French mints in 1791. Indeed it was he who had designed the official Constitutional issue of coinage struck from that year.
