Gelderland 1492 2 briquet
This specimen was lot 529 in Jean Elsen sale 159 (Brussels, June 2024), where it sold for €75 (about US$96 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"NEDERLAND, GELDERLAND, Philips de Schone, minderjarig (1482-1492), AR dubbel vuurijzer, 1492, Mechelen. Vz/ Twee tegenover elkaar zittende leeuwen met daarboven een vuurijzer. Daaronder wapentje van Mechelen. Kz/ Het wapenschild van Oostenrijk-Bourgondië op een gebloemd kruis. Zeldzaam. Stuk uit de rand gebroken. Zeer Fraai. (Netherlands, duchy of Gelderland, Philip the Fair as a minor, 1482-92, silver double firesteel of 1492, Mechelin mint. Obverse: two seated lions facing, a firesteel above, below, the arms of Mechelen; reverse: the arms of Austria-Burgundy on a floriate cross. Rare, chipped, very fine.)"
Après la mort accidentelle de Marie de Bourgogne, son mari Maximilien de Habsbourg obtint la tutelle de son fils âgé de 4 ans mais les villes de Flandre refusèrent de le reconnaître. Le jeune Philippe le Beau fut emmené à Gand et un traité de paix fut conclu par la Flandre et le Brabant avec Louis XI, qui avait envahi l'Artois, la Bourgogne et la Franche-Comté. Ce n'est qu'en 1485, après avoir pacifié la Hollande et l'évêché d'Utrecht, que Maximilien put soumettre la Flandre et y être reconnu comme régent. Pendant cette période, l'on poursuivit le monnayage de Marie de Bourgogne, principalement composé de florins de Bourgogne et de doubles briquets et briquets en argent. (After the accidental death of Mary of Burgundy, her husband Maximilian of Hapsburg obtained the guardianship of his four year old son but the towns of Flanders refused to recognize him. The young Philip the Fair was taken to Ghent and a peace treaty was concluded by Flanders and Brabant with Louis XI, who had invaded Artois, Burgundy and Franche-Comté. It was not until 1485, after pacifying Holland and the bishop of Utrecht, that Maximilian forced Flanders to recognize him as regent. During this period, he continued the coinage of Mary of Burgundy, principally composed of gold florins and silver briquets and double briquets.)"
This coin is named for the firesteel posed between the two lions, which firesteel later became the badge of Philip II of Spain. This is a very early dated coin.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen is 2,36 g.
Catalog reference: G.H. 97-4; VH 127; Levinson III-221.
- Levinson, Robert, The Early Dated Coins of Europe, 1234-1500: An Illustrated Catalogue and Guide to dated medieval coinage. Clifton, NJ: Coin & Currency Institute, 2007.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- van Gelder, H. Enno, and Marcel Hoc, Les Monnaies des pays-Bas Bourguignons et Espagnols, 1434-1713, Amsterdam, J. Schulman, 1960, with supplement of 1964.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 159, Collection Harry Dewit, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.
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