Brabant 1480 briquet
This specimen was lot 73126 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2023), where it sold for $216. The catalog description[1] noted, "BELGIUM. Brabant. Briquet, 1480. Antwerp Mint. Mary of Burgundy. NGC AU-58. Obverse: Lion left, holding coat-of-arms; Reverse: Cross fleuree, with voided cross at center. A pleasing example with little actual wear and a clear date--an important aspect for these early-dated issues." The Antwerp mint, which operated until the 1750's, used a hand as its mintmark. Marie's marriage to Maximilian of Hapsburg brought Hapsburg rule to the Low Countries. This is one of the first coins to bear dates in Arabic numerals.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.06 g, 0.399 fine silver, this specimen 2.77 g.
Catalog reference: Levinson-II-46.
- Levinson, Robert, The Early Dated Coins of Europe, 1234-1500: An Illustrated Catalogue and Guide to dated medieval coinage. Clifton, NJ: Coin & Currency Institute, 2007.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, November 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancient & World Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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