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I survived the Siege of Paris and all I got was this token.
Okay, let me start by saying that the title of this post is sort of a joke. I am going to talk about a commemorative souvenir token that people who lived through the 1870–1871 Siege of Paris could buy, but the “all I got” part isn’t at all how most of them would have thought of it. As France continued to lose the Franco-Prussian War and the month of September, 1870, progressed, Parisians (and visitors to Paris) realized that the Prussian army would soon surround the city. In a short time, Paris would be cut off from the rest of the world and besieged. And so, many residents and visitors left the city as quickly as they could. An understandable decision, of course, and one that many of them were probably grateful for, since those who stayed in Paris experienced hunger, extreme cold, disgusting bread and other food choices, and even a month of heavy bombardment by the Prussians for those who lived on the Left (South) bank of the Seine. That said, it wasn’t always easy for those who