Collecting Jamestown: Part 8. Jetton as Talisman

Jamestown made into a pendant.

Times were hard at Jamestown. There was little food, bad water, and hostile natives. It is likely that the settlers longed for safety.
   Despite the press of the Anglican Church (both in England and at Jamestown), several folks
reached out for safety in the old way. That is to say, some settlers appealed to the "old church" and the remedies that it offered.
   One example of this was to carry a talisman. Such items could be a verse, a crucifix, or other religious medal; even a coin could serve a protective function if it was fashioned in a particular way (bent and holed, for example). Of course, the use of these objects was forbidden. The Reformation Church had no tolerance for even a hint of idolatry.
   In England, Catholics were punished as heretics. Crossing one's self or wearing a crucifix was unlawful. Yet, many folks reached out for the practical magic that the "old church" had offered. For example, many folks still believed that a pilgrimage to a particular church might offer the chance for a miracle. So too, a talisman could protect a person from death or injury.
   Miracles were sorely needed. Plagues, debilitating ailments, and other misfortunes were commonplace in the mother country.
   So it was in Jamestown. The death toll was high. Most folks died within a year of stepping on Virginia shores.
   One of the colonists fashioned a pendant out of a jetton by piercing it carefully at about 12-o-clock and placing a small silver ring in the hole so that the piece could be worn. The image on the jetton was of the crucifixion. Hence, it was of the "old church."
   Was it for protection?

   Death -- by arrows, starvation, or illness -- was everywhere. The southwest corner of the old triangular fort was filled with bodies. Hundreds more were buried just beyond the west palisades on a slight rise, made higher by the flesh and bones buried there.

Similar jetton that is
smoothed like a pocket piece.

   To simply pray and consider one's faith might not have been enough for some of the colonists. So, maybe they reached out for a remedy. A talisman. The word itself means "to perform a rite." Wearing a talisman was to embrace a form of magic.
   The jetton had the legend: CVIVS LIVORE SANATISVM. This translates to "whose jealousy is satanism." I found a reference to a sermon given by Saint Thomas Aquinas with the same phrasing. According to scriptures, the devil is jealous of God and of people. On the reverse, the temptation is depicted. The legend reads: IN ADAM OMNES MORIVNTVR. This translates to "In Adam, all die." Enough said.
   There is a phrase in the exergue that I cannot completely translate: IN CHRISTOOM NESVIVIFICA BV?T??. It reads "In Christendom, ... ." Can anyone help out with the translation?
   This jetton was found in a 1617 to 1625 archeological context at the north end of the Governor's residence. There was an addition built at the end of the "row of houses" in the time of Governor Samuel Argall. It was a two-room framed structure with a brick foundation. This building was used at the end of the fort period.
   This jetton is scarce but available, as I have seen three for sale in the past year. Few folks know that one was found in Jamestown. Its use might tell us about the beliefs and coping strategies of the early fort residents. There is gathering evidence that "old church" practices were privately used at Jamestown -- remember the witch bottle?

Old Sails: French Gun Ship for the Provost of Paris

There is a vast fleet of ships to be discovered on French municipal jettons.
   Each year, a new jetton was designed for the provost of the merchants of Paris. The provost acted as a mayor and was elected every two years. The first provost was chosen in the thirteenth century, whereas the last one governed until 1789 when the French revolution was in full tilt.

   I am not sure when the jetton series started, but it appears to be in the mid-1500s. Mitchner calls it a "semi-continuous" series. There are many gaps. Dated pieces go back to 1548 by my reckoning.
   These jettons were meant to be given as gifts in recognition of service. Among those receiving jettons were the mayor, the sheriffs, the king's attorney, and other officials. Many of the jettons were made of brass, a few of silver (the standard mintage for the latter appears to be about 900 pieces). All of them were produced by the Paris Mint and were distributed in the Fall.
   The Arms of Paris featured the "Ship of State" -- hence, there are many ships in the series. Most of the sailing ships are placed within a shield, but a few are featured in a larger size, sans shield. I particularly like the latter vessels.
   In 1632, a large ship (of state) was depicted on these municipal jettons. Christopher Sanguine was the provost of Paris at the time. He served from 1628 to 1632. The motto underscores the balance of power among the merchant corps from which the provost was elected.
   The fully-rigged ship is on a port tact with billowing sails. The sea is churning. The hull is depicted with an artistic flourish: rotund and adorned with curly gunwales. The hull shows three wide planks with bold pegs. The sails are decorated with fleurs-de-lis.
   Such a lovely ship. This might be the work of chief engraver Jean d' Armand Orphelin. I did not find a signature mark, however.
   The particular piece was carefully handled nearly four centuries. Wear is slight on the lower mainsail and along the gunwales. I purchased it from a French dealer, so I imagine it never left the country. I wonder how many folks have admired this ship?
 
 

Like Historic Coins? What Kind Do You Like?

What kind of history do you like?

Many coin collectors are interested in history.
Or, so they say.

"I want to touch the past," is a common refrain.

"I want to hold a coin that was used by my grandmother, or her grandmother!"

   At first glance, any old coin is stirring. A well-traveled Mercury dime is fascinating. It is fun to explore the smoothed surfaces with your fingertips. Each worn dime is unique. It wears its history of use for all to see.
   For some of us, a worn Mercury dime conjures up memories of finding one in change, or memories of discovering one in a drawer at the family homestead. Or, maybe we just looked down at the precise moment to discover one on an overgrown baseball field.
   Yes, there was a time when we enjoyed the simple pleasure of holding something that traveled from purse to register and back again -- just imagine, it was touched by thousands of folks who were saving and spending. Folks like many of us.

   But then we got indoctrinated. Brainwashed. Ahhhhh!

Do you want a dime that was here? Or, in the bag at the bank?

   Proper Collecting is about getting the "best" dime. Best dimes are shiny dimes. We learn to use a magnifying glass to examine split-bands and count cap-feathers. We learn codes: MS-67 or MS-68. We learn to obsess over these details and codes.
   All this obsessing leads to worry. Oh, the anxiety. Did I get the best one? Is the band split deeply enough? Is each feather defined well enough. Did I get a good enough deal? And of course the ultimate question is: Am I enough?


   Well, it all depends on what kind of history you like. Do you want a dime that was actually there? Or, do you want a dime that could have been there (but was sitting in a roll or bag instead)? For the coin collecting necromancer the answer is obvious: a dime that was there is always better than a dime that could have been. We don't know where "there" was, but the wear tells us that the dime traveled, and traveled for a long time.
   Now I have to admit that I have a few shiny dimes. I tried to love them. But I cannot. I keep going back to the ones that were there. I like to touch them. I like to hand them to folks to pick at. I like to give a few of them away as gifts -- a piece of history that happened.
   

Loving the Unloved: Coins for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is upon us.

   I am going to watch my father march in a small town parade with the other Vets. He was career Navy. I am proud to watch the old timers from the curb.

   

In Loving the Unloved, we contemplate some old war relics. Some Vets used these bits. I wonder who they were? No matter. The relics are potent either way.

   A battlefield relic is a real piece of the action. It was there. These rusty bits are part of history … they are not just old, but instrumental. Relics like this should be in the parade, not on the curb.

   I cannot think of a pair of cents that are more evocative.

   Relic coins wear their scraggy patina with pride. Old timers. Each pit, each scratch, each lamination – all earned and honest. These coins have authority.

  

Nowadays, too many collectors worry about authenticity. Was the coin dipped? Is the toning right? Or left? Yuk, Yuk. Silly stuff.

   The power – the parade, if you will – is about authority. Loving the Unloved is not a rebel thing; it is not meant to rile your fellows; it is not madness. It is reverence for those who came before, who struggled, big hero or not.