France 1580-F franc
This specimen was lot 1501 in Jean Elsen sale 151 (Brussels, June 2022), where it sold for €170 (about US$212 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri III (1574-1589), AR franc au col plat, 1580F, Angers. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d. R/ Croix feuillue et fleurdelisée, H en coeur. presque Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry III, 1574-89, silver franc of the flat collar of 1580, Angers mint. Obverse: laureate and armored bust right; reverse: floriate cross, "H" at the center. about Very Fine.)"
Duplessy lists this type for 1575-86 from numerous mints. The face value was twenty sols tournois. Heavy clipping prompted the regime to suspend production in 1586. Sombart reports four known to exist in his population survey, making this date neither rare nor common.
Recorded mintage: 159,286.
Specification: 14.18 g, 0.833 fine silver, this specimen 13,76 g.
Catalog reference: Dupl-1130; Ci. 1427; Laf. 970, Sb 4714.
- 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 151: Collection Paul Witte, Monnaies de Brabant, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2022.
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