Gaming Counter with the House of Napoleon

Gaming Counter with the House of Napoleon

This counter is unusual and rare due to the depiction of Napoleon’s House and Tomb as opposed to a Coat of Arms.[I] The exact date that this counter seems to be between Napoleon’s death and burial in St Helena in 1821 and when his body was moved to Paris in 1861[II] because otherwise the counter would depict Napoleon’s current tomb as opposed to the one on Saint Helen’s.

Notice that the captions are in English as opposed to French, meaning an English person would have requested this service. Although Britain and Napoleonic France were at war between 1792 and 1813, there were still some British citizens who respected Napoleon.[III] Perhaps this counter was created to highlight Napoleon’s defeat and the individual felt depicting his island of exile represented that or maybe this counter was created to commemorate Napoleon.[IV]

Museum Purchase with Funds provided by H.F. Lenfest, W. Groke Mickey, and the Frances and Beverly M. DuBose Foundation

1820 - 1860

Mother-of-Pearl

15.39.230

Made in Guagzhou (Canton), China

1.56" x 1.06"