Le Picotin Aperitif countermark 10 centisimi - Italy

[redwine]

An unexpected piece from afar Many thanks 
Forerunner of Suze.

Others I've found:

10 centimos 1878 - Spain
1d 1863 - UK

I've also heard of a 5 centimes luxembourg, an 1878 Greek 10 lepta, a 1/2d UK and a 10 centime piece of the ever-popular Nap III but I haven't seen any pictures.

The piccy of the advertising paper ticket was culled from Delcampe, it's available!

[maxmissy]

Herebelow other examples :
1/2 d UK - 10 c Luxembourg - 10 c Italy
Same overstrike on french coins is very scarce ( Your Nap III example ) : It is strictly forbidden by french law to "mutilate " french money ; " Le Picotin ", being a french brand, could have been fined.

[redwine]

Very nice 
I think that's a penny - 31mm? Like the other two.
I shall look out for the Nap III 
And an incomplete P, nothing worse  , for the first two?  Interesting!

[malj1]

Yours too is the broken P, as you can see from maxmissy's image there are two varieties to be found.

Very difficult to find any information on Le Picotin Aperitif - Cointalk says:

This was a French liquor made by a firm located in the suburbs of Paris, but they had their warehouse in the city at 16 Rue Quincampoix.

[redwine]

I'd go for 1885-1889
See http://www.pernod.fr/english/marques/autres_boissons/suze.html

[redwine]

Apparently it was oat based??
http://cgma.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/picotin-1/
CGB also references this site.

[malj1]

Google translate helped me read this:

THE PECK

APERITIF OAT

Fresh oranges and

F. MOUREAUX & Cie - Alfort (Seine)

blog-le-picotin-pub-rue-du-four-paris-1895

I never drank "Peck" and I was totally unaware of the existence of an appetizer oat, I had stayed at traditional food for horses, this has opened new horizons for me ... In addition, allegedly manufactured by a company Maisonnaise ...?

After some research on the web, I learned that in fact Fernand Moureaux, owner of the distillery Rousseau & Laurents moved to Maisons-Alfort in 1885 and would compete with brands in vogue at that time his drink "bitter".
In fact, it is the ancestor of "Suze" well-known, especially in Maisons-Alfort aperitif.
Like what, with a good magnifying glass, we get to read small print, and we learn about his own town!
  Sylvie R

[redwine]

The answer lies here "Le Calvados, magazine de votre département N°103 - Juin / Juillet 2011." but it's going to take me a while to translate understand it    And the author gives no references! Bad form!!
One of the bits that I did understand was that in 1889 at the Universal Exposition some of the competition weren't pleased and made a banner saying "At last an aperatif for the donkeys" 

[redwine]

I've paraphrased it somewhat:

At the end of the nineteenth century there were two small distilleries in Quincampoix Street, Paris. That of the Rousseau family and that of
the Moureaux family. Rousseau had a daughter, Marguerite; Moureaux had a son, Fernand. They married. 

In 1889 for the Universal Exhibition in Paris Fernand took along some Picotin.  It was rather strong - 35° and 37°.

He printed many posters on which were two donkeys, leant over a bowl of "Picotin" happily licking their chops.  The competition reacted by plastering banners saying "Donkeys have finally found their aperitif" on Fernand's billboards.

After this he changed his strategy, halving the alcohol content. [This is where it's a bit confused.]
Using Kappeler's "Gold of the Alps" recipe he created Suze.  Porte supplied the bottle design from a bottle he found in his attic. It must have been good as it appeared in a Picasso collage in 1912.

He settled in Trouville, Calvados............

[redwine]

Had another quick look around based on what Mal said about the incomplete P:

1d 1862 - UK (incomplete P)
1d 1863 - UK (P) [cgb]
1d 1881 - UK (incomplete P) [delcampe]
10 centimos 1878 - Spain (incomplete P) [cgb]
10 lepta  1878 - Greece (?)
10 centimes ? - Luxembourg (incomplete P)
5 centisimi 1862M - Italy (incomplete P) [cgb]
10 centisimi 1863M - Italy (P) [cgb]
10 centisimi 1866M - Italy (incomplete P)
10 centisimi ?T - Italy (incomplete P)
10 centisimi ?N - Italy (P)

Latest date 1881.

Mentioned in:
1886 Revue britannique: Revue internationale reproduisant les articles des meilleurs écrits periodiques de l'étranger, complètés par des articles originaux, Volumes 5-6
1887 Revue illustrée, Volume 4 - can't see proof?
1891 Revue des vins et liqueurs et des produits alimentaires pour l'exportation...  (Paris): F. Moureaux et Cie, distillation en général, et spécialement la fabrication de la liqueur « le Picotin » 5, quai d'Alfort, Alfort

So I reckon the product itself dates from 1885.

[redwine]

Found this on ebay past - looks a tad odd?

1/2 d 1861 - UK (incomplete P) [ebay]
1d 1862 - UK (incomplete P)
1d 1863 - UK (P) [cgb]
1d 1881 - UK (incomplete P) [delcampe]
10 centimos 1878 - Spain (incomplete P) [cgb]
10 lepta  1878 - Greece (P) [The Numismatic Circular, Volumes 87-88]
10 centimes ? - Luxembourg (incomplete P)
5 centisimi 1862M - Italy (incomplete P) [cgb]
10 centisimi 1863M - Italy (P) [cgb]
10 centisimi 1866M - Italy (incomplete P) [The Numismatic Circular, Volumes 87-88]
10 centisimi ?T - Italy (incomplete P)
10 centisimi ?N - Italy (P)

[redwine]

Here's a lovely ad with donkeys 
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9004856p.r=picotin.langEN

So not 1885  but pre 1876! Note award. And note Depositaire P. Rousseau 14 Rue Quincampoix, PARIS 

[africancoins]

I have a piece... described at time of receipt as follows...

GB 1 Penny 1876 stamped with “LE” / “PICOTIN” / “APERITIF” stamped on obverse of coin centred slightly above the centre of the coin, flawed quality to stamping at “P”, “P” and “R”, portrait about worn flat, hardly any details of Britannia remain visible on the back.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[redwine]

Paul, is the P of Picotin complete? Many thanks 

[malj1]

Found this on ebay past - looks a tad odd?

10 lepta  1878 - Greece (P) [The Numismatic Circular, Volumes 87-88]

10 centisimi 1866M - Italy (incomplete P) [The Numismatic Circular, Volumes 87-88]

I shall look out the Numismatic Circulars later today, to check whether I have these volumes. I think I sent you a copy of the one section I have on Scott's French countermarks on British coins that I have; this give this mention: [see below]

Looking at the few images we have I feel it has the appearance of the same stamp being used throughout that is gradually breaking up, with the P breaking first.