France 1576-A teston
This specimen was lot 1421 in Jean Elsen sale 136 (Brussels, March 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri III (1574-1589), AR teston, 1576A, point 18e, Paris. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d., au col plat. R/ Ecu de France couronné, entre deux H couronnés. Frappe faible au droit. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry III, 1574-89, silver teston of 1576, dot under 18th letter, Paris mint. Obverse: laureate and armored bust to right with flat collar; reverse: crowned arms of France between two crowned "H's". Weakly struck on obverse, very fine.)"
This type was struck 1575-77 with a flat collar (shown here) or a ruffed collar (Dupl-1126). The dot under the 18th letter is a relic of the old secret mark system of identifying French mints before the reform of 1540.
Recorded mintage: est. 108,835 (Sombart does not list the flat collar type for 1576-A), a better date.
Specification: 9.59 g, .899 fine silver, this specimen 9,52 g.
Catalog reference: Dupl-1126A; Ci. -; Laf. 966, Sb 4654.
- 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 136: Collection Martiny, Collection Nef, Collection Casterman, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2018.
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