Loaded die made of hard animal material
Loaded die from the Cheval Blanc tavern, whose “2” was disguised as a “3”
Loaded die from the Cheval Blanc tavern, whose “2” was disguised as a “3”
General characteristics
Title:
Loaded die made of hard animal material
Identification:
Die made of hard animal material, with edges smoothed with a file and numbers incised as concentric circles
Dimensions:
L. 12 × W. 12 mm
Date:
19th century
Place and year of discovery:
Rue Jean-Jaurès, Seclin, 2011
Inventory no.:
155611_131_1537_9
Collection:
Archaeological collection of the city of Seclin
Description
This die, made of hard animal material, has edges smoothed with a file and numbers incised as concentric circles. It was found in the fill of the latrines of the Cheval Blanc tavern, an establishment open between 1536 and 1846 in the heart of the canonical quarter of Seclin.
Made during the 19th century, it was tampered with: the “2” is missing, disguised as a “3” by adding a third mark between the first two. While 4-2-1 gave pride of place to a three-of-a-kind on a loaded die used by a cheat, that combination meant a loss in the game of Passe-Dix on a loaded die passed on to an opponent. Both dice games were very popular in 19th-century French taverns.
© Ville de Seclin