Owner Comments:
The standard design of the French 2 Sol pieces struck for the Monneron Brothers is more typical of the simplistic elegance standard of the Soho Mint. This is likely because Boulton had the ability to oversee the design process, as the dies were produced by his engraver Ponton. The design, although simple compared to the 5 Sol pieces, is still attractive and loaded with symbolism.
Obverse: A sun with radiating rays shines down on a seated female allegorical figure of liberty draped in robes appears left. She is proudly perched on what appears to be a square slab of stone. Her right arm is extended holding a pike with a liberty cap resting at its tip. Her left arm rests on a tablet inscribed
DROITS DE L’HOMME ARTIC V. in five lines. This seems to be a clear nod to the Declaration of the Rights of Man. In the background behind the tablet is a pillar with horizontal facets. The top of this pillar is cut to create a level surface where a rooster is depicted walking and facing left. The foreground of the main device has curved edges that create space between it and the beaded border. The bottom is straight, which creates a semi-circular exergue containing the legend
L’AN IV . DE LA LIBERTÉ, in two lines. The main legend tightly hugs the beaded border but is divided between liberty. It reads
LIBERTÉ SOUS LA LOI.
Reverse: The entire reverse design is contained within a toothed border. Tightly hugging this border appears the legend
REVOLUTION FRANÇAISE, which is separated by an inner raised ring. The date 1792 appears at the bottom. Within the inner ring appears the legend
MEDAILLE QUI SE VEND in two lines. Centered in the middle of the reverse in the much larger font are the words
DEUX– SOLS. The reverse legend continues in the smaller font of the first two lines. Separated into three lines it reads
A PARIS CHEZ MONNERON PATENTE with the last word appearing between two vertical lines of varying shape.
Edge: La. Confiance. Augmente. La. Valeur. (incuse)
Notes: As can be seen from the images, this token has an insane amount of contrast between the fields and main devices. Even the relatively plain reverse has a cameo. Of course, this token was also awarded the coveted Proof Like (PL) designation. In my opinion, this coin has all of the hallmarks one would typically see from a proof, but not so much from a standard currency piece. Nonetheless, I am very pleased to have such a beautiful example in my collection.
This is currently the single highest grade specimen with the + and PL designations at NGC.