102600 | NETHERLANDS. Maastricht. St. Martin cast brass Begrafenisloodje.
Details
102600 | NETHERLANDS. Maastricht. St. Martin cast brass Funeral Token (Begrafenisloodje). Dated 1733. Receipt for prepaid funeral expenses (31mm, 11.77 g, 5h).
Skull and crossbones; star below // S MARTINI, Saint Martin riding horse left, head right, giving his cloak to a beggar to right. Edge: Minor split at one spot, and some typical waviness from the countermarks.
Minard 357. PCGS EF-40. Deep brown surfaces, with a lighter brassy-yellow nature on the higher points; typical punch on each side (as intended). Rare and interesting. Exceeded in the PCGS census by just a single example—a PCGS EF-45 that we previously sold for $1,895.
Begrafenisloodje served multiple roles in the Low Countries during the 16th-19th centuries, acting as payment for gravediggers, pallbearers, or other funerary expenses, or acting as a commemorative for the funeral of the deceased—either to those attending the ceremonies or to the respective church in remembrance of the departed. Where they were utilized to indicate payment, a punch was generally placed upon one or both sides to act as a form of "cancellation" for the services rendered and payment received.
This item was featured in our e-Sylum ad.
Upload: 15 October 2024.
Sorry, this item is no longer available.