Newman Portal Search: Jeton

A Newman Portal user this week searched for the term “jeton.” This is a term that most readers have seen, but can’t necessarily define. Frey’s Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, 1916) gives the definition “a counter which can be traced in France to the thirteenth century…the name is derived from the verb ‘jeter’ [meaning] to throw, to cast…they were first struck in copper, brass, and other base metals, but at a later period when they were intended as gifts, they were frequently made of silver and gold.” The standard reference today is Jean Lecompte’s Monnaies et Jetons des Colonies français (2000). A typical example is Lecompte-150, as cataloged in Stack’s Bowers 11/2014 sale (lot 3003, realized $235). This piece is dated 1755 and exhibits a bust of Louis XV.Link to Newman Portal Dictionary: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionary