What is this token?

[josey]

These were found in an uncle's possessions. Made of metal [not brass I suspect as they are very light]. Letters that can be read around the head [starting opposite the nose] appear to he 'HERCUL....'.

Wondered if it may be a souvenir from Herculaneum? Might the 2 discs have originally together to form a double thickness disc?

Thanks for any help.

PS Uncle Geoff seemed to have a few curiosities, another was discussed here
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=757445.0

[hepburn]

Fascinating thing!

[roopat]

I visited Herculaneum in the summer, in Italian it's Ercolano so I'm not convinced it's a souvenir from there - although obviously if made specifically for English tourists it might well have had the English spelling.


Pat

[josey]

Ahh interesting, roopat, thanks. It is impossible to read any further letters. so it could be 'Hercules' then something else. Presumably the letters would have been symmetrical so going round to opposite the back of the head under the club.

[Treetotal]

Very interesting...and so is this...but not sure that it answers your question Josey but fascinating all the same :

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/hercules.309762/

Maybe worth posting on there to see if anyone can shed any light on what it is.

Carol

[josey]

Thanks for the suggestion, will come back if I get any ideas.

[AJ100]

Interesting, Josey. The word is. I suspect Hercules as the disc shows him holding a club. Hercules was traditionally shown carrying a club and wearing a cloak made of animal skin.
The whole assembly looks to be home-made. Not brass, as you say, possibly brass plated or pinchbeck (attempt at reproducing gold) but the links look to be copper. It appears your uncle came upon the discs and thought enough of them to mount them on whatever was to hand.

Regards

AJ

[josey]

Thank you for the comments, all makes sense. I hadn't thought of pinchbeck. I wonder how the unattached one came to be so bent? I can't bend it back. The hole in the discs definitely looks home drilled & 'chain' copper colour. The discs almost look hand cut as they are not perfectly circular; wonder if the whole assembly was an attempt at punching metal.

Another artifact for the family archive in a plastic bag & marked 'found in the possession of....' 

[familydar]

There's a thread on the Australia board, "mystery find" (using a tablet at the mo, not sure how to post a link).  Could the token have masonic meaning?

Jane :-)