Les objets monétiformes

The evolution of societies and their recognition of the coin as an irrefutable instrument of authority, prosperity and domination forces us to consider this exceptional exchange medium as a bearer of multi-faceted themes. After hesitation over the definition of a money-shaped object, even if such a thing was tacitly recognized, it was only in the 19th century that it received official acceptance. Thereafter everything that had the look or the form of money could claim to be money-shaped (monetiform), though it would never become monetary nor have a face-value, except in some rare cases. Money-shaped objects may have a documentary, political, religious, artistic or utilitarian mission which is recognized and accepted nearly world-wide. Some examples will enable us to demonstrate this from Antiquity to our time.