A first for me

[Scott W]

I made an unexpected find in a half dollar box today.


I really don't know what to make of this. It is by far my most unusual, unexpected find yet.
I assume it is to commemorate a wedding. It appears that wedding took place long ago.
How the heck did it end up in a box of coin rolls?

 

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[lookingharder]

Very cool coin. I would say it wound up in the coil roll the same way a bunch of silver items I found wound up at the local dumpsters (referring to my dumpster diving find) Someone old passed away and the kids took all of his or her coins and cashed them in.

 

[Styfflin]

Now that's a one-of-a-kind find! A half-dollar-sized, wedding-commemorating, custom-engraved token. At first glance I thought it said Edvin (Edwin), but that's definitely 8 Juin (French for June). So you have a very precise date. Origin could be France or any French-speaking area. I can't determine what letters are in the "name" portion. C and L? Any other clues on the rim? Is it silver?

 

[BLK HOLE]

Very nice I have never seen a wedding challenge coin!! If you pulled that out for a tap betting your not buying the round!

 

[Diver_Down]

That is a fantastic find. I collect Love Tokens and have never seen a coin commemorating a couple's wedding nuptials. It is a shame that it has found it's way into circulation. You should be able to sell it easily on eBay under Love Tokens if it is something that you have no interest in keeping for yourself.

 

[kingskid1611]

That is simply a beautiful coin. I would be keeping it.......

 

[Scott W]

I do not know if it is silver, although I expect it is.
There is an inscription on the rim. It looks like 1 ARGENT. Or possibly LARGENT?
I got 2 boxes yesterday; this came out of the second. In the first was a Walker, with the reeding worn smooth. I was expecting more of the same when I first saw this. I never expected this token to appear!
It is a shame it could have not stayed in the family.
There is a large population of Spanish speaking Latinos in my region, but minimal French.

 

[barneyb71]

Never heard or seen a love token. That is a beautiful coin, i would definitely keep it, especially if it’s silver. Nice find for 50 cents!

 

[Styfflin]

I would honestly see if one of the mods would move this to Today's Finds to get it in front of more people.

 

[Death&Taxes]

How much silver is in it? And I hope the groom survived WWI.

 

[Scott W]

I would honestly see if one of the mods would move this to Today's Finds to get it in front of more people.

That's a good idea. I wonder how to go about that?
I found out from Mr Google that ARGENT is a French word for silver. I wonder what the 1 in front of it means?

 

[Dozer D]

I would definitely KEEP IT, a one of a kind coin for discussion.

 

[FormerTeller]

That is a fantastic find. I collect Love Tokens and have never seen a coin commemorating a couple's wedding nuptials. It is a shame that it has found it's way into circulation. You should be able to sell it easily on eBay under Love Tokens if it is something that you have no interest in keeping for yourself.

I too collect love tokens, and have also never seen a coin like that!

 

[Overseas]

...
I assume it is to commemorate a wedding. It appears that wedding took place long ago.

It appears you have a silver marriage médaille (medallion) made by Louis Alexandre Bottée.

At the start of the 19th century the "treizain" were replaced by "médaille."

The medallions were blessed along with the wedding bands by a priest.

Sometimes the wife would turn them into broaches later during the marriage.

Louis Alexandre Bottée (1852-1941) was born in Paris and apprenticed at age thirteen to a button maker, where he learned the art of engraving. He began his art studies in the evening classes of the Paris drawing schools and later attended the Petite Ecole. In 1869 he entered the atelier (workshop) of the chief Parisian medal engraver, Tasset, and in 1871 he was accepted to study with the medalist Ponscarme at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After winning the Grand Prix de Rome for medal engraving in 1878, Bottée spent three years at the French Academy in Rome. When he returned to Paris, his work was well received, and he was awarded honors at the Paris Salons.

They probably emigrated after the war, and like "lookingharder" said, they passed away and some near sighted relatived rolled it up.

 

[Greastart]

That's a good idea. I wonder how to go about that?
I found out from Mr Google that ARGENT is a French word for silver. I wonder what the 1 in front of it means?

How much does it weigh? Perhaps it refers to silver content. Very nice find by the way! Mr Google may help you find more info about it. Keep it until you know what you've got at least. Congratz

 

[Overseas]

If you are really curious you could check the online immigration records to see who passed through Ellis Island that was married that year...then you would have a name.

 

[Argentium]

Spectacular find ! The medallic artwork makes that piece way better than what you would get for it on fleabay , I would keep that beauty !

 

[FormerTeller]

That is freaking awesome! Thanks for the info Overseas!

 

[Scott W]

The weight is 14.5 grams. I had it acid tested. It is silver, but less than .925.

Thank you Overseas! The best part of finds like these is the knowledge to be gained from people willing to share it.