France 1558-M teston
This specimen was lot 1777 in Jean Elsen sale 164 (Brussels, March 2026), where it sold for €170 (about US$237 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri II (1547-1559), AR teston, 1558 M, Toulouse. D/ B. cuir. à d., t. nue. R/ Écu de France couronné, entre deux H couronnés. Légère double frappe et griffes au revers. presque Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry II, 1547-59, silver teston of 1558, Toulouse mint. Obverse: armored bust right with bare head; reverse: crowned arms of France between two crowned "H's". Lightly double struck on the reverse, about Very Fine.)"
The teston of Henry II had a face value of 11 sols, 4 deniers. This type struck 1551-61 with 15 examples reported by Sombart, a common date of the most common mint. Aix ("&") and Bourges ("Y") also struck testons of this type in 1558.
Recorded mintage: 249,466.
Specification: 9.598 g, 0.899 fine silver; this specimen 9,50 g.
Catalog reference: Sb 4572, Dupl. 983; Ci. 1266; Laf. 821.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 164: Monnaies du duché de Brabant et du royaume de Belgique, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2026.
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