French Ceramic Coin Dish by Longchamp - La Tour d'Argent Crest

A tiny coin dish — a *coupelle à monnaie* — from the tables of La Tour d'Argent, one of Paris's most enduring restaurants, and a fixture for decades at Patricia and Walter Wells's apartment in the city. Made by Longchamp, the respected French ceramics house, it is Parisian restaurant history in the most compact of forms. Ivory-glazed ceramic, scallop-edged with a fine gold rim, and just slightly larger than a lemon, the dish carries La Tour d'Argent's heraldic crest at its centre — a turreted tower printed in deep red and black, the date 1582, and the address, 15 Quai de la Tournelle. La Tour d’Argent is a historic Paris restaurant on the Quai de la Tournelle, overlooking the Seine and Notre-Dame. The restaurant traditionally traces its origins to 1582, although its earliest history is not fully documented. Its modern reputation was established in the late nineteenth century by Frédéric Delair, who developed the celebrated pressed duck service and began numbering each duck served. The restaurant was acquired by André Terrail in 1911 and has remained under family stewardship ever since. In 1936, the main dining room was moved to the sixth floor, creating its famous panoramic view. La Tour d’Argent became one of the defining institutions of French haute cuisine and reopened in 2023 following a major renovation. This dish was used at the Wells apartment in Paris over many years. Set it beside the stove as a salt pinch, on a bedside table for rings and earrings, or simply on a shelf as a decorative accent.