Mercier Champagne Coupe

End of the 19th century – beginning of the 20th century (circa 1890-1910, Belle Époque / Art Nouveau period), most likely around 1900.

Change tray (small tray for coins or tips) made of lithographed tin (printed metal), rectangular with rounded corners. The design depicts a waiter in formal attire presenting a glass of champagne to two elegant ladies seated at a table (with a bottle, fan, etc.), framed by vines and bunches of grapes, with the inscriptions "CHAMPAGNE" at the top and "E. Mercier & Cie" at the bottom. The style (ornamental lettering, elegant composition, floral motifs) is typically Art Nouveau. Almost identical examples appear in specialized auction catalogs for Mercier advertising memorabilia.

Champagne Mercier (or Maison Mercier / E. Mercier & Cie) was founded in 1858 in Épernay by Eugène Mercier (1838-1904), then 20 years old. He wanted to democratize champagne (historically reserved for the elite) while maintaining high quality by bringing together various landowners.

Eugène Mercier was a pioneer of modern communication and advertising: construction of 18 km of monumental cellars (starting in 1871), a giant barrel (equivalent to ~200,000 bottles) exhibited at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, the first advertising film made with the Lumière brothers (1900), a floating bar in a hot air balloon, and various promotional items (mirrors, matches, change trays, etc.). The company had a bottling branch in Luxembourg (1880s-early 20th century).

After the founder's death, the company continued under the family, merged with Moët & Chandon in 1970, and later joined the LVMH group. It remains one of the best-selling champagne brands in France, with an accessible and festive positioning.