France 1573-A teston
This specimen was lot 1834 in Künker sale 293 (Osnabrück, Germany, July 2017), where it sold for €8,500 (about US$11,456 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANKREICH, KÖNIGREICH, Charles IX, 1560-1574. Teston 1573, A, Paris. Dickabschlag (Piéfort) in Silber; 37,98 g. Geharnischtes Brustbild l. mit Lorbeerkranz//Gekröntes Wappen, zu den Seiten je ein gekröntes C. Von großer Seltenheit. Attraktives Exemplar mit feiner Patina, fast vorzüglich. (kingdom of France, Charles IX, 1560-74, teson of 1573, Paris mint, piefort in silver. Obverse: armored laureate bust left; reverse: crowned arms divide two crowned "C's". Very rare, attractive example with fine patina, about extremely fine.)"
This strange specimen is probably a pattern. Milled coinage is known from France in the 1570's but it was not generally adopted until the reform of 1640-42. This one being a piefort (double thick), it is likely a presentation piece. The regular issue is much cruder.
Recorded mintage: est. 8,160, a rare date.
Specification: 9.59 g, 0.899 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Ciani 1363, Duplessy 1077 (regular issue, struck by the hammer), Sb 4634 (hammered).
- 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]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Katalog 293: Münzen aus Mittelalter und Neuzeit u. a. die westfälischen Privatsammlungen Werner Bröker und Bernd Terletzki, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2017.
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