Batenburg (1556-73)-WB ducat Fr-7
This specimen was lot 1126 in Jean Elsen sale 157 (Brussels, December 2023), where it sold for €700 (about US$903 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"NEDERLAND, BATENBURG, Willem van Bronckhorst (1556-1573), AV Sint Victordukaat, z.j. Vz/ SANCTVS- VICTOR Staande heilige met schild en ridderlans met bannier, tussen W-B. Kz/ MONETA NO-VA AVREA B De heilige Maagd met het kind. Daaronder het wapenschildje Bronckhorst-Batenburg. Zeer zeldzaam. Dubbelslag. Fraai à Zeer Fraai. (Netherlands, lordship of Batenburg, William of Bronckhorst, 1556-73, undated gold St. Victor's ducat. Obverse: standing saint with lance and banner; reverse: Madonna and Child, Batenburg arms below. Very scarce, double struck, Fine - Very Fine.)"
The lords of Bronkhorst were barons of Batenburg in Gelderland and from there began issuing coins, usually bad, in the 1550's. There is also a rare variety, believed unique, that comes without the "WB" (Fr-7a). Willem issued other ducats, double ducats, angels, half angels, cruzados and couronnes d'or. The last gold coin from this locale is a ducat of 1578 (Fr-13) issued by Herman Thierry.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.50 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3,45 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-7, v.d.Ch. 10, 10; Delm-688; CNM 2.05.4.
- Delmonte, A., Le Bénélux D'or, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman N.V., 1964, with supplements to 1977.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- van Gelder, H. Enno, and Marcel Hoc, Les Monnaies des pays-Bas Bourguignons et Espagnols, 1434-1713, Amsterdam, J. Schulman, 1960, with supplement of 1964.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 157, Collection J.-C. Martiny, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2023.
Link to: