Nice brass token (AE28) of Louis XIV (1643-1715), France

Louis facing right, inscriptions around / Vincendi sut haec preludia mundi (the elements in this world exist for victory), mythological scene. 28mm, 5.80 grams.

This piece comes from a large collection of Sadi Carnot (son of the former President of France between 1887 and 1894); ex-collection of D. Szapary-Donadello. This piece has been cleaned (not by us) and shows some hairlines and/or light scratches. A beautiful piece overall!

A beautiful piece overall! In the study of numismatics, tokens are coin-like objects used instead of coins. Tokens are used in place of coins and either have a denomination shown or implied by size, color or shape. The key point of difference between a token and a coin is that a coin is issued by a governmental local or national authority and is freely exchangeable for goods or other coins, whereas a token has a much more limited use and is often (but not always) issued by a private company, group, association or individual. Tokens became very popular in France in the 17th century, and numerous varieties were produced during the reign of Louis XIV. They served as coinage supplements, sort of commemorative medals, local or store currency.