COMPAGNIE FRANÇAISE DES APPAREILS AUTOMATIQUES

[redwine]

I'm assuming this is an advertising piece?    But why waste a whole side??
COMPAGNIE / FRANÇAISE / DES APPAREILS / AUTOMATIQUES / 25, RUE DU FAUBOURG / POISSONNIÈRE / PARIS
Uniface
9.89g
30mm

Google positioning here

They produced this piece: Calliope, Musical box

And that's all I know.  Any more info gratefully received.  Many thanks.

[malj1]

See Calliope music ...and see fourth from bottom this page and click to play!

See Coin operated french calliope antique upright disc music player box.

[redwine]

Many thanks Malcolm 
The 10c piece up until 1917 was approximately 10g & 30mm. So perhaps it was used on this machine
Thanks to the Latin Monetary Union the machine could use the same coin in a great deal of Europe.

I'm thinking late 19th century.  Any idea of an exact date?

[malj1]

The music disc machines first appeared in the mid-1880's while I think the coin-operated disc machines came later in the late 1890's, both the disc and the cylinder music boxes soon disappeared again around the time of WW1 partly due to the war but also due to the appearance of the 78rpm gramophone records of the early 1900's which would have hastened their end.

So quite by chance the end of the large sized 10 centimes in 1917 would have coincided neatly. 

The token may have been provided by the owner either in exchange for 10c or perhaps to give a free demonstration? 

[redwine]

Excellent, thanks Mal. 

Perhaps it was supplied to countries that didn't have the correct size coinage? 

[redwine]

COMPAGNIE / FRANCAISE / DES APPAREILS / AUTOMATIQUES / 25,RUE DU FAUBOURG / POISSONNIERE / PARIS
9.85g
30mm

I searched for info on this and saw a picture of Mal

[malj1]

I too have had that problem! 

[redwine]

I shall find some more out tomorrow................

[malj1]

POISSONNIERE looks a bit fishy...

[redwine]

Indeed 
The building is here

[malj1]

Merged with original topic as the image is rather better than the first. 

Appears to be old 10 centime & old penny size for use in the machines.

[redwine]

Thanks Mal 
Yes, standard size across mainland Europe because of the Latin Monetary Union.  Although the penny was a millimetre bigger.
And the weight is about right at just under 10g.