Tokens of Ecuador

from the Razorback Collection

As in many Latin American countries, tokens were in widespread use in Ecuador. We have no reference works which cover this issue, so we can only point out what the token states. It is brass or bronze and is a rather well executed imitation of a French twenty francs of Napoleon III. We don't think it was seriously meant to be taken for the gold coin as the actual issue of 1857 used a different bust of the emperor. It appears to be advertising cigarettes made or sold by S. Hernandez and Co. in Guayaquil, the main port and second city of Ecuador.

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