France 1551-M douzain
This douzain aux croissants was a billon coin issued in large numbers during the reign of Henry II (r. 1547-59). This specimen was lot 72171 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Santa Ana, CA, May 2017), where it sold for $129.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Douzain, 1551-M. Toulouse. Henry II (1547-59). NGC AU-55. Good strike and quite lustrous." These thin coins are often brittle and pieces get chipped off, which appears to have occurred in this case. Milled coinage was experimental in the sixteenth century and would not be generally adopted until the reform of 1640-42. This type had a face value of twelve deniers tournois, a denomination later occupied by the copper sou. It is the most common silver coin from this reign.
Recorded mintage: at least 618,480, a fairly common date.
Specification: 2.62-2.68 g, .292 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dupl-997, Sb 4380 (5 examples reported).
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- [1]Ponterio, Rick, et al., The May 2017 Collector's Choice Sale, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
Link to:
- 1550-F douzain aux croissants
- 1550-H douzain aux croissants
- 1550-K douzain aux croissants
- 1550-A teston à la tête couronnée
- 1550-D teston à la tête couronnée
- 1551-A demi-gros de Nesle = sol parisis
- 1551-T douzain aux croissants
- 1551-B double henri d'or
- 1552-B douzain aux croissants
- 1552-H douzain aux croissants
- 1552-A teston
- 1573-A douzain, piéfort
- 1593-Z douzain du Dauphiné
- Coins and currency dated 1551
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)