1918 Silver 1 Franc World War I Identification Coin/Token!

[{Sentinel}]

What's up guys...I've been on vacation for the past 5 days and itching to get back to the dirt to dig. Went to a new site yesterday and attained permission to dig this nice-

looking patch of ground. As I said, by this time I was quite ready to do some digging as I was dang near in withdrawals Around lunchtime I got a really good signal

and out popped this Silver coin. At first, I thought it might be a Reale but when I raised it up and looked at it; it was a 1918 1 Franc. I was thinking "pretty cool" until I

turned it over and saw that it was engraved! Right then and there I knew that that elevated this find from just a "pretty cool" find to a "terrific piece of History!!"

It was singularly awe inspiring to be able to hold an item so linked with not only American and European history, but with World history!.....it leaves

you lost for words for a piece of time.



Front


Back








The back reads:

"CH. MECH. R.C.CURTIS
BAT. D
111TH
F.A.
A.E.F."

Chief Mechanic [Mr.] R. C. Curtis, Battery D, 111th Field Artillery, Army Expeditionary Forces

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[creskol]

WoW .. That really is a neat piece of history! Great Save!

[ronbo22]

Nice piece of history. Please rearch the soldier. BANNER!!!!!

[Mackaydon]

The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF was the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces. The AEF helped the French Army on the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive (at Château-Thierry and Belleau Wood) in June 1918, and fought its major actions in the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives in late 1918-your coin's year!!
Don...
Source: Wiki

[VOL1266-X]

You "Time Travelers" have gone from the Rev War to WW1 in those Virginia sites. That's a great historic find and will make a super research project Josh. HH, Quindy.

[{Sentinel}]

Nice piece of history. Please rearch the soldier. BANNER!!!!!

Thanks Ronbo and I will do all that I can to research this soldier and have the history to go with his I.D. Token. I owe him that much.

[N.J.THer]

Great find...I hope you find out some information about Mr. Curtis. Maybe you can return it to his family.

I vote banner...

NJ

[Mackaydon]

I've seen reference to WWI "111th Field Artillery" as being based in both Maryland and Virginia.
Since you found the coin in Virginia, you may be very close to finding the heirs to this soldier.
Don.......

[BURLIVES]

Not pretty cool.....VERY COOL!...fabulous find, congrats to you!

[Mackaydon]

"In the weeks that followed the Allies' victory in World War I on 11 November 1918, a U.S. Army quartermaster officer of the Services of Supply (SOS) sat down to write his portion of the after-action report. The report was neatly typed, thorough, and impressively honest. It outlined how, almost out of nothing, the Army had forged the SOS, the logistics organization that supported the 3 million Soldiers deployed "over there" to Europe as the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)."
The source of this and more on the AEF can be found here:
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/artic...ditionary.html

[umrgolf]

Another great find This hobby continues to shock me.. Hunting a colonial/CW field and something like this pops up out of nowhere A personalized token like this that is directly linked to a WWI soldier that lived here and served in France, deserves some recognition. WTG Josh

[kyphote]

FREAKIN' UNREALE!! (great pun, eh?) I can't imagine your reaction upon seeing the engraving. Banner in my book.

[Mackaydon]

I'll bet your local VA can give you assistance in ID-ing this hero.
A pic of you returning the coin to one of his heirs would fetch a quick "Well Done!!"

[mainer]

Wow Josh, that is amazing. You got my vote. Amazing piece of history.

[Wldbil]

Terrific find!!! What a great piece of history to dig up. Congrats!

[VOL1266-X]

Josh, after I replied this morning, I got to thinking. I don't recall EVER seeing a WW1 i.d. tag in a foreign coin. Just think, that soldier was there in that bloody and muddy mess serving his country. Good luck on the research. I must VOTE BANNER formally. That's a SUPER discovery. HH, Quindy.

[Hardrock]

Absolutly fantastic find, Great piece of AEF history, banner in my book. Hope you can find more out about this soldier. Keep us posted and good job. Congrats. Hardrock

[Mackaydon]

You may wish to check with the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection. They reported this:
“Soon after America entered World War I, most Virginia Guard units were organized into regiments with the now familiar designations of 116th Infantry and 111th Field Artillery. While the 111th saw no combat, more than 300 men of the 116th Infantry were killed. Among them was Winchester's Captain Robert Conrad, who was the highest-ranking Virginia Guardsman to die in the war.”

Virginia National Guard Historical Collection
c/o Virginia Army National Guard
Public Affairs ATTN: VAAG-PA (Historian)
BLDG 316, Fort Pickett
Blackstone, VA 23824
Office: (434) 298-5321
(434) 298-6297
Fax: (434) 298-5320
Source: http://vko.va.ngb.army.mil/VirginiaG.../overview.html

[Ozark Treasure Digger]

Great piece of history. Value? Priceless. Hope you can locate more info on Mr. Curtis.

[Nana40]

OH! How VERY, VERY cool is that! What an excellent find! Looks like you've got a start on finding info for him, now I hope you can locate his family. I think it was Don from Kansas? that found an old coin with similar info..maybe CW era...and he had quite a journey returning his coin.

Congrats on such a wonderful find!!


Nana