France 1589-M 1/2 franc

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Jean Elsen sale 150, lot 1320

This specimen was lot 1320 in Jean Elsen sale 150 (Brussels, March 2022), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri III (1574-1589), AR demi-franc au col plat, 1589M, Toulouse. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d. R/ Croix feuillue et fleurdelisée, H en coeur. Légère faiblesse de frappe. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry III, 1574-89, silver half franc of the flat collar of 1589, Toulouse mint. Obverse: laureate and armored bust right; reverse: floriate cross, "H" in the center. Slightly weakly struck, Very Fine.)"

Altho Henry III died in 1589, designating his cousin Henry IV as his heir, the Catholic League refused to recognize the Protestant claimant and struck coins in the name of the dead king. Desperate for an acceptable alternate, the League later resorted to naming Charles of Bourbon, an ordained priest and a prisoner of Henry IV, as their candidate. Henry IV eventually converted to Catholicism and support for the League collapsed. This type was struck 1575-93 and is common altho most individual dates are rare.

Recorded mintage: 296,383 (including a few quarter francs).

Specification: 7.09 g, 0.833 fine silver; this specimen 6,83 g.

Catalog reference: Sb-4716, Dupl-1131; Ci. 1430; Laf. 971.

Source:

  • 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.
  • 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 150: Collection J.F.L. Blankenberg, Monnaies de l'Orient Latin, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2022.

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