France 1607-A 1/2 franc

From CoinVarieties
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Sincona sale 66, lot 1392
Künker sale 406, lot 4689

The first specimen was lot 1392 in Sincona sale 66 (Zürich, October 2020), where it sold for 1,200 CHF (about US$1,580 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE | Kingdom | misc. Henri IV. 1589-1610. 1/2 Franc 1607 A, Paris (Moulin de Louvre). Piéfort en argent. Tranche inscrite en relief. Selten. Sehr schön. (kingdom of France, Henry IV, 1589-1610, half franc of 1607, Paris mint, silver piedfort. Edge lettered in relief. Rare, Very fine.)"

The second specimen was lot 4689 in Künker sale 406 (Osnabrück, March 2024), where it sold for €2,600 (about US$3,412 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,

"FRANKREICH, KÖNIGREICH, Henri IV, 1589-1610. 1/2 Franc 1607, A, Paris. Dickabschlag (Piéfort) in Silber. Von großer Seltenheit. Hübsche Patina, kl. Druckstelle im Feld der Rückseite, sehr schön. (kingdom of France, Henry IV, 1589-1610, half franc of 1607, silver piedfort. Extremely rare, handsome patina, small punch mark on the obverse, very fine.)"

Most coinage during the reign of Henry IV was struck by the hammer, including the regular issue demi-franc. This pattern was struck in a screw press, as evidenced by the round planchet and edge lettering. As edge lettering was not adopted in France until the 1680's, this piefort may have been struck long after the date on the coin. Piefort silver francs also exist. The reverse image is upside down on the Sincona specimen.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: normally 7.09 g, 0.833 fine silver, the first specimen 25.5 mm diameter, 13.79 g. The second specimen is 14,14 g.

Catalog reference: Ciani 1546; Duplessy -, Lafaurie 1061 d, Sombart unlisted.

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.
  • Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
  • Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
  • [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 66, Gold and Silver Coins and Medals, featuring the Claude Stritt Collection, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2020.
  • [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 406: Gold Coins | Coins and Medals from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. Löwenstein-Wertheim | German Coins after 1871, a. o. Patterns from the Coenen Collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.

Link to:

Retrieved from "https://coinvarieties.com/index.php?title=France_1607-A_1/2_franc&oldid=578300"