Méreau (plural: méreaux; obsolete spelling: merel, merelles, marelles, mereaulx) was a token, most often made of metal, sometimes from leather or parchment, used in France during late Middle Age and Reformation. Its name goes back to Latin: merere, "to deserve". Méreaux emerged in churches as tokens that entitled clergy to receive certain amount of bread or other food in rather great amount (part of which was supposed to be later distributed among the poor). In the 15th century there were méreaux of high nominal: 5, 20, 30 and 45 deniers, and priests could exchange them into real coins.