1791 AD., France, Monneron Frères, Birmingham, 2 Sols token, Hen. 342.

France, Monneron Frès, Jeton/Token, Augustin Dupré (1748-1833), Birmingham, Soho mint, 1791 AD.,
Æ Monneron de 2 Sols (32 mm / 17,39 g), copper, coin alignment ↑↓ (180°), plain edge with incuse letters,
Obv.: LIBERTE - SOUS LA LOI / L´AN III DE LA / LIBERTE. / DROITS / DE / L´HOMME / ARTIC / V. , la France is seated with a cock and a liberty pole with a liberty bonnet on a spear - Liberté assise à gauche, appuyée sur la Déclaration des droits de l'Homme : DROITS / DE / L'HOMME / ARTIC. / V. Elle tient une pique surmontée d'un bonnet phrygien ; derrière un coq sur une colonne.
Rev.: MONNERON FRERES NEGOCIANS A PARIS / MEDAILLE / DE CONFIANCE / DE DEUX SOUS A / ECHANGE CONTRE / DES ASSIGNATS DE / 50L ET AU DESSUS. / 1791 , legend and seven lines text - légende et texte en sept lignes.
On the edge: BON POUR BORD MARSEIL • LYON ROUEN•NANT ET STRASB •
Hen. 342 ; VG.233 ; Maz.153 ; Br.217c .

The Monneron family was a French family of businessmen and politicians, best known for the Monneron brothers.
It originated in the small village of Ampurany near Tournon-sur-Rhône, but set up shop in Chanos since 1550. Antoine Monneron and his wife Barbe Arnault had 20 children, 8 dying in infancy. They lived successively in Antibes, Tournon (1737), and Annonay (1739) where Antoine bought the position of receiver of the grenier à sel tax. Antoine was also lawyer to the Parlement and controller-general of the Fermes du Roi to the Parlement d'Antibes.
Les Frères Monneron was built up in England by Matthew Boulton, thanks to the steam engine of James Watt, producing 2 and 5 sols coins in great quantities in the Soho factory in Birmingham from the end of 1791.
These pieces of necessity money eased the coinage shortage then current in France and their technical and aesthetic quality was much superiour to mediocre base metal issues produced by official sources.
In March 1792, the Monnerons went bankrupt and Pierre fled. His brother Augustin took over the business, but a law of 3 May 1792 forbade the production of money by private concerns. In September a decree forbade the commercialisation of confidence-coins. These necessity coins were in circulation until the end of 1793.