Brabant 1641(a) 2 souverain d'or Fr-106
This specimen was lot 3653 in Goldberg sale 80 (Los Angeles, June 2014), where it sold for $7,897.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Belgium - Brabant. 2 Souverain d'or, 1641 (Brussels). Philip IV (1621-1665). Obverse crowned armoured bust. Reverse crowned shield in collar of the Golden Fleece. Lots of original luster and as struck. This coin was found in the earth in Europe, having lain undisturbed for several centuries. Usual somewhat weakly struck reverse, but an unusually crisp portrait. NGC graded MS-63. Philip IV of Spain was born in 1605 and reigned as King of Spain and its empire until 1665. He married Elisabeth of France when he was 10 years old and she 13. Eventually they had 7 children. She died in 1644 and he later married Mariana of Austria who bore him 5 children. Philip was a studious man who took the business of ruling a vast empire seriously. At first he had a reforming zeal, but later this left him. It was said that Philip was so impassive in public that he 'resembled a statue,' and one observer remarked that he 'had laughed only 3 times in his life.' But he was a patron of the arts and artists (especially Diego Velazquez) and a religious man deeply concerned with the preservation of Spain's dominions. Eventually, the strains of The Thirty Years War weighed heavily on him, and historians disagree strongly over his strengths and weaknesses." This type is recorded for 1637-47 from the Brussels (shown here) and Antwerp mints.
Recorded mintage: 39,000.
Specification: 11.06 g, 0.919 fine gold, .326 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 74.2, Fr-106.
- 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]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Aleeza Brown, Yifu Che, Frank Draskovic and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 80: the Pre-Long Beach Auction," Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2014.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
Link to:
- 1639 double souverain d'or, Antwerp mint
- 1640 double souverain d'or, Brussels mint
- Luxembourg 1641 escalin
- 1641 escalin, Antwerp mint
- 1641 patagon, Brussels mint
- Tournai 1641 patagon
- 1641 double souverain d'or, Antwerp mint
- Flanders 1642 2 souverain d'or Fr-226
- 1644 double souverain d'or, Brussels mint
- 1644 double souverain d'or, Antwerp mint
- Coins and currency dated 1641
- return to coins of Netherlands, Spanish