France 1553-S douzain
This specimen was lot 71011 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $132. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Douzain, 1553-S. Troyes Mint. Henry II. PCGS AU-58 Gold Shield. Very lightly handled, this specimen--though struck on a somewhat irregular flan--presents great allure and a fairly bold strike in spots, especially the date." These thin coins are often brittle and pieces get chipped off, visible on many examples. 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: 469,440, a fairly common date.
Specification: 2.682 g, .292 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dupl-997, Sb-4380.
- 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 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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