France 1587-X 1/2 franc
This specimen was lot 70115 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, May 2020), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 1/2 Franc, 1587-X. Amiens Mint. Henry III. PCGS VF-30 Gold Shield. Moderately toned, this piece presents a great deal of darker toning in the fields, highlighting the devices." The specimen shown is a demi-franc au col plat of Henry III (r. 1574-89) struck by the hammer at the Amiens mint (mintmark "X") in 1587. The king's title, "HENRICVS·III·D·G· FRANC·ET·POL·REX," indicates his brief tenure as king of Poland. Duplessy lists this type for 1575-89. Many varieties exist. It had a face value of 10 sols tournois.
Recorded mintage: 297,051, a common date. The figure includes a few quarts de franc au col plat.
Specification: 7.09 g, 0.833 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dupl-1131; Ciani-1431, Sb 4716.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The May 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
Link to:
- 1587-D double tournois
- 1587-M douzain aux deux H
- 1587-K quart de franc au col plat
- 1587-A demi-franc au col gaufré
- 1587-B demi-franc au col plat
- 1587-G demi-franc au col plat
- 1587-O demi-franc au col plat
- 1587-G huitième d'écu au marteau
- 1587-C quart d'écu au marteau
- 1587-G quart d'écu au marteau
- 1587-M quart d'écu au marteau
- 1587-H demi-franc au col plat
- 1587-A écu d'or au soleil
- 1587-B écu d'or au soleil
- 1587-E écu d'or au soleil
- Coins and currency dated 1587