Obv.: Crayon Mengin / 20 Cs./ Le / Crayon / 164/ R Du Fa.g St. Martin; Rev.: Hommage / Linventeur. Sixteen sided, bronze, 23 mm. Mengin lived in Paris where he was a street entertainer in the mid 1800's. He dressed as a Roman soldier and sold special pencils while performing magic tricks. The address, 25 Rue du Faubourg Saint Martin, now houses the restaurant "Chez Arthur". Mengin was rumoured to be rich, but on his death in 1864, his home was reported to be "clean, but of extreme simplicity."
Provenance:
Country (if not USA): France
State:
City/County: Paris
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