Material – Metal

Place of Origin – Nuremburg, Germany

Jettons were used as metal casting counters, gaming counters, and small change. Starting in the 13th century, casting counters were used as mathematical aids on Medieval reckoning or counting boards. In the 17th century the use of written calculations becomes more common and reckoning boards not used as often. During the 16th and 17th century, England experienced a shortage of small coinage and the jettons began to be used as small change, often as halfpenny and farthing replacements. After 1500, metalworkers in Nuremburg, Germany produced the majority of jettons. Jettons have been recovered from early Mid-Atlantic colonial contexts at Jamestowne, Roanoke Island, and Cape Hattaras.[i]

Two varieties of Nuremburg tokens have been recovered from some of the earliest contexts in the town lots for the c.1670 to 1690s Charles Towne settlement. The earliest variety was struck by Hans Krauwinckel II, who produced tokens between 1586-1635. The obverse side has a central rose surrounded by three crowns alternating between three lies. The reverse side has a central image of a rose-orb encircled by two arched lines and a legend with a saying that reads “HEIT ROT MORGEN DOTT” which translates to “Red (alive) today, dead tomorrow”.[ii] Interestingly, this token predates the Carolina colony by 35 years. Counting tokens tend to get worn from sliding them on reckoning boards during calculations. This token is in good condition and the writing is quite clear, despite being in circulation for a long period of time before a colonist brought it to Charles Towne.

The second variety of Nuremburg token has a laureated bust Charles II on the front and was produced by Cornelius Lauffer between 1660-1685. The reverse has a central garter star encircled by a cruciform of the four shields of England, Scotland and Ireland each separated by interlinked C’s.[iii] As small coinage it likely held the value of a farthing.

Watch our “Artifacts in Focus” video to learn more about these Nuremburg Jettons: 

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[i] John L. Cotter and J. Paul Hudson, New Discoveries at Jamestown: Site of the First Successful English Settlement in America (National Park Service, Washington D.C., 1957), 90-93; Adrian Marsden, Tudor and Stuart Paranumismatica, Coin Collector 16:40; Ivor Noel Hume, A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America (Vintage Books, New York, NY 1991), 155,171; Ivor Noel Hume, In Search of This & That: Tales from an Archaeologist’s Quest (The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1996). 58.

[ii] Michael Mitchiner, Oriental Coins and Their Values: The Ancient and Classical World, 600 B.C. – A.D. 650 (Hawkins Publications, 1978, London, UK) – Mitchiner no. 1574.

[iii] Mitchiner, “Oriental Coins” - Mitchiner no. 1781.