20 Centimes - Crayon Mengin Paris

Features

Location France
Emperor Napoleon III (Napoléon III) (1852-1870)
Type Promotional items › Advertising token
Value 20 Centimes (0.20)
Composition Brass
Weight 3.45 g
Diameter 23.8 mm
Thickness 1.3 mm
Shape Hexadecagonal (16-sided)
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized Yes
Number
N#
123330

Obverse

Buste casqué de Mengin à droite

Script: Latin

Lettering:
HOMMAGE A L'INVENTEUR
PARIS

Translation: Bust of Mengin on the right. Around that: Tribute to the Inventor Paris

Reverse

Name and address of the Company, and value of the token.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CRAYON MENGIN
20 Cs-
LE
CRAYON
Fg St MARTIN 25

Unabridged legend:
20 centimes
Faubourg Saint Martin

Edge

Smooth

Comments

Mengin lived in Paris where he was a street entertainer in the mid 1800's.
 He dressed as a Roman soldier and sold special pencils while performing magic tricks.
 He is mentioned in several books of the period
 The address, 25 Rue du Faubourg Saint Martin, now houses the restaurant "Chez Arthur". Mengin was rumoured to be rich, but on his death in 1864, his home was reported to be "clean, but of extreme simplicity."

 Mengin sold gold-coloured pencils and included a medal of this kind (vaguely looking like a Louis d'or) with each pencil sold. There are several types of this advertising medal, with a more or less crude design.

I take this comment and Links of the coins from Numista catalog, from the token with little bit different obverse (letter A in sou rounding lettering is on the right side on my token). Reverse is the same. Technical data are also little bit diferent.

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Feedback: 5/55/55/55/55/5 (×956)
Country: France
Languages: French
Numista Rarity index: 83 Search tips
This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members.

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