Mysterious casino token

[maxmissy]

Since several months I am trying to identify this token ( probably a casino token )
Obverse : 19 Piastres Palace
Reverse : 4 symbols
Diam : 38 mm
I have found quite the same one ( with different colors ) on the net : It is said coming from a Shangai ( ! ) casino BUTI think it a wrong identification.
I would rather think to a " mediterranean " location : Lebanon, Egypt, etc...

[africancoins]

A piece very similar but with different colours at....

http://www.inumis.com/chine-comptoirs-de/chine-shangai-jeton-de-casino-de-19-piastres-a1102586.html

Unsold - against 350 Euro starting price.

But still a bit of a mystery.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[maxmissy]

Thanks africancoins,
This is precisely the token ( and the internet site ) I was referring to in my post
I do not trust
1° The identification : Piastres currencies were used in former french indochina before 1955 ; never used in Shangai
2° The price ( 350 euros ) seems completely crazy

[malj1]

I recently bought a Ghesireh Palace Casino - 1 Piastre - Cairo - this is probably WW2 or before, but maybe the casino you are looking for. [It is still in the mail - takes forever to get downunder these days]

[akona20]

I am betting Saigon the Palace Casino circa 1960

[Chinasmith]

I have collected hundreds of Chinese tokens, and have catalogs showing many more I don't have, but this is not one of them. Not from Shanghai and likely not from China.

[Afrasi]

The strange denomination let me think of Cyprus with their pieces of 18 Piastres. There I find the Savoy Ottoman Palace Casino in Northern Cyprus, Turkey.

[Afrasi]

I recently bought a Ghesireh Palace Casino - 1 Piastre - Cairo - this is probably WW2 or before, but maybe the casino you are looking for. [It is still in the mail - takes forever to get downunder these days]

Did it arrive in between?

[malj1]

Yes! many moons ago now.    (see Gezira Palace)

On my Egypt site but my sites will all crash later this year.

[malj1]

Found another; Palace Casino 1/2 Piastre on eBay but terminated lot.

[Figleaf]

These are interesting tokens, but I don't see the connection with Maxmissy's token. It is from another era. Both "palace" and "piaster" are rather generic terms. Also, 19 (a relatively high prime number) is not credible as a denomination. What if it's part of the name? The "19 piastres palace" casino? Since Egyptian and Lebanese casinos were trend setting in the days of Hercule Poirot, it could be an indication of a casino, wanting to evoke those old casinos.

In view of the spelling "piastres", rather than "piasters", I would prefer a french (second) language country, where piastres did not circulate (any Turk or Cypriot would know 19 piastres is a small sum.) As the token is pretty modern, my first candidate would be Tunisia, until recently, the most relaxed North African country.

Peter

[malj1]

No luck searching Tunisia. see results

Other possibilities are Libya or Sudan.

I did find further very interesting information on the Ghesireh Palace Casino and where I found my own picture has been used!

[Figleaf]

So far, I found a variant in white, and a reasonably large offer at widely diverging prices, all from French sources. It's also on Numismatique.com, which is no surprise, since Maxmissy is well known there. I think we can conclude that the token is indeed from a French (second) language country and a very new issue. I now wonder if it's really a casino token, though.

Pete

[Figleaf]

Not sure if this is a good lead, but it may explain the "19 piastres". Apparently, a Turkish gold coin of 20 piasters (Memduhiye Altin) was tariffed at 20 piasters, but actually went for 19 piasters (source in French, see also note to Turkey KM 659)

Turkish after all?

Peter

[Overlord]

http://paris70.free.fr/palace4.htm
(scroll down to see the tokens)

Same as this one (can't read French)?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Palace