fjt_058333 - ROUSSILLON (COUNTY OF) - Les pallofes Pallofe, Communauté de Saint-Étienne d’Ille n.d.

ROUSSILLON (COUNTY OF) - Les pallofes

(late 16th - early 17th century)

The pallofe is a mereau struck on a very thin brass blank (like a skin: pell in Catalan, hence pellofe or pallofe). She played the same role as a méreau, that is to say a control of the attendance of the canons at the offices. At the beginning of the offices, each beneficiary received a méreau or pallofe which he then exchanged for cash. Faced with the shortage of coins, at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, the pallofes were accepted as real coins by bakers, butchers, etc. coins of necessity, the pallofes are known in about a hundred varieties.