Jeton is a bit of a catch-all term, as not all of them were used on the counting board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_board With the introduction of the concept of zero in Western mathematics it became easier to work out finances on paper/parchment and the counting board, which had a similar appearance to a chess board, fell into disuse. From this similarity we get the term Chancellor of the Exchequer and draughts is otherwise known as Chequers. The word counter in board games to denote the coloured plastic discs used is in lineal descent from jetons and the traditional jeton manufacturing families diversified into card counters and later toy money. New designs often featuring royal or political figures were popular and helped to maintain production. There were also Jetons de Présence, mostly in silver but sometimes in gold, which were issued as emoluments (similar to an early form of Directors Fees) for royal household officials, insurance company directors and other persons for whom cash was considered too vulgar. Jetons de Présence There is a huge range of literature and catalogues available, but you'll need to speak French or German to make the best use of them.