France 1558-B henri d'or
This specimen was lot 1680 in Jean Elsen sale 158 (Brussels, March 2024), where it sold for €1,400 (about US$1,821 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri II (1547-1559), AV Henri d'or, 1558 B, Rouen. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d. R/ Croix formée de quatre H couronnés, cantonnée de deux croissants et deux lis. Très rare. Troué. Beau à Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry II, 1547-59, gold henry of 1558, Rouen mint. Obverse: laureate and armored bust right; reverse: cross formed of four crowned H's, cantonned with two crescents and two lilies. Very rare, holed, Fine - Very Fine.)"
This type was struck at numerous mints 1550-62. It had a face value of fifty sols tournois, the same as the écu d'or. The denomination was continued after Henry's death in 1559 by his teenage sons, Francis II and Charles IX. Milled coinage was experimental in the sixteenth century and would not be generally adopted in France until the reform of 1640-42, being strongly resisted by the moneyers' guild.
Reported Mintage: 69,900[2].
Specification: 3.65 g, 0.958 fine gold; this specimen 3,55 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-368; Sb-4976 (8 examples reported), Dupl-972; Ci. 1244; Laf. 810.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- [2]Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 158, Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.
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