France 1553-M teston
The first specimen was lot 70680 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2022), where it sold for $336. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Teston, 1553-M. Toulouse Mint. Henry II. NGC AU-55. An incredibly attractive type, this hammered French issue displays crisp strike and is still lightly lustrous beneath the deep toning that inheres to the surface. Abundant detail is scarcely interrupted by evidence of wear, with a flan crack being one of the few marks against this piece. A strong example for the medieval specialist." This type was struck by the hammer at numerous mints 1551-62. A few were milled at the Paris mint. Sombart reported 41 pieces known in his survey (plus 17 demi-testons), making this one of the most common dates.
Recorded mintage: 691,254 for 1552-53, including a few demi-testons.
Specification: 9.59 g, .899 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dupl-983, Sb 4572.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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