Brittany (1420-23) cavalier d'or Fr-94

Heritage sale 61253, lot 99033

Heritage sale 61253, lot 99034

Heritage sale 61253, lot 99035

The first specimen was lot 99033 in Heritage sale 61253 (Dallas, January 2022), where it sold for $14,400. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"France: Practically Choice Florin d'Or au chevalier of Jean V of Brittany. Brittany. Jean V (1399-1442) gold Florin d'Or au chevalier ND (1420-1423) MS62 NGC, Nantes mint. 1st Emission. +IOhΛnnЄS • DЄI • GRΛCIΛ • BRITOnV • DVX n (rosette stops), Jean, crowned and armored on horseback, brandishing sword in right hand, and holding shield in left, advancing right / +DЄVS • InΛDIVTORIV • mЄV • InTЄnDЄ (rosette stops), cross fleuillue with rosettes in angles, all within quadrilobe with ermines in spandrels. A fleeting type to say the least, and one which almost never becomes available outside of France. Preserved here on the very cusp of Choice Mint State, to say that the present offering is in a league all its own for the issue seems an understatement. A quick perusal of recent sales records reveals only an extremely small number of Jean V Florins having come to market, and we have been able to locate only one other specimen from this emission and mint--an UNC Details--which last hammered for just under $12,000 in June 2018. Though seemingly prone to a weak central strike on the reverse, the coin more than makes up for this via a plethora of die polish which fills every recess of the reverse. Perhaps only the most hairline scratch over the horse bounds the designation, though even this is of little visual impact, and is not readily apparent to the naked eye. Simply an exceptional example, and one sure to excite spirited bidding."

The second specimen was lot 99034 in Heritage sale 61253 (Dallas, January 2022), where it sold for $9,000. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"France: Perhaps Only the Fifth Known Jean V Florin d'Or from Rennes. Brittany. Jean V (1399-1442) gold Florin d'Or au chevalier ND (1420-1423) MS63 NGC, Rennes mint, Fr-94, PdA-Unl., Dupl-265, Boudeau-Unl., Bigot-Unl., Jéz-320, cf. Dhénin, "Florin et Double-Florin de Bretagne" (Revue Numismatique Vol. 15, 1973), pg. 213, 2 (2 examples recorded). 1st Emission. (rosette) IOhΛnIIЄS • DЄI • GRΛCI | Λ • BRITOnV • DVX • R (rosette stops), Jean, crowned and armored on horseback, brandishing sword in right hand, and holding shield in left, advancing right / +DЄVS • InΛDIVTORIVm • mЄVm • InTЄnDЄ (rosette stops), cross fleuillue with rosettes in angles, all within quadrilobe with ermines in spandrels. An exceptionally rare mint for the type, altogether unrecorded by Poey d'Avant and Bigot. In his 1973 article, Dhénin recorded only 4 total examples from this mint across two die pairs, for which this pairing was recorded in only 2 examples--one in the Musée Thomas Dobrée in Nantes, and the other discovered in a hoard. Jézéquel notes under his entry for the type that a piece supposedly exists in the Bibliothèque Nationale (1979/65), though it is unclear if this example is among those Dhénin lists. Aside from its absolute rarity, the condition of this specimen can only be described as enviable, the obverse fields carefully arrayed with die polish, while an earthen red-gold tone grips the peripheries. Very likely only the fifth known example, and perhaps only the third from this die pair."

The third specimen was lot 99035 in Heritage sale 61253 (Dallas, January 2022), where it sold for $7,800. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"France: Highly Rare 1st Emission Vannes Florin d'Or - Likely Just the Third Known Example. Brittany. Jean V (1399-1442) gold Florin d'Or au chevalier ND (1420-1423) MS62 NGC, Vannes mint, Fr-94, PdA-1119 var. (punctuation), Dupl-266, Boudeau-Unl., Bigot-1013 var. (punctuation), Jéz-321a, cf. Dhénin, "Florin et Double-Florin de Bretagne" (Revue Numismatique Vol. 15, 1973), pg. 213, 2 (2 examples recorded). 1st Emission. (rosette) IOhΛnЄS • DЄI • GRΛ • B | RITOnV • DVX • V (rosette stops), Jean, crowned and armored on horseback, brandishing sword in right hand, and holding shield in left, advancing right / +DЄVS • InΛDIVTORIV • mЄV • InTЄnDЄ (rosette stops), cross fleuillue with rosettes in angles, all within quadrilobe with ermines in spandrels. Truly a masterpiece of the coinage of independent Brittany, executed in needle-sharp detail across an essentially full and unbent flan. Of far greater rarity than the second emission, O pointé, type from Vannes, we have not been able to locate a single other 1st Emission example coming to auction in recent years, with Dhénin reporting that he studied a total of just three 1st Emission specimens (from 2 die pairs), versus fourteen 2nd Emission pieces in his article "Florin et Double-Florin de Bretagne." From a visual standpoint, it is easy to say that not a detail on this coin goes underrepresented, the strike generally free of doubling or noticeable softness. For the sake of completeness, we note a very fine flan crack that following the outline of the front of the knight's figure."

This coin was issued by the duke of Brittany and was obviously inspired by the franc à cheval of the previous century. The denomination, never issued by the king of France, later became popular in the Low Countries.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: gold; the first specimen 2.95 g, the second specimen 3.02 g, the third specimen 2.90 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-94, Dupl-264, Boudeau-Unl., PdA-657 var. (under Jean IV; legends), Bigot-556 var. (same), Jéz-319a, cf. Dhénin, "Florin et Double-Florin de Bretagne" (Revue Numismatique Vol. 15, 1973), pg. 212, 7-8 (1 example of each recorded).

Source:

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.
^[1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, The Brittany Collection of French Coins Showcase Auction #61253, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

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Brittany (1420-23) cavalier d'or Fr-94

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