Liege (1394-1418) florin d'or Fr-284

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Jean Elsen sale 158, lot 1039

This specimen was lot 1039 in Jean Elsen sale 158 (Brussels, March 2024), where it sold for €15,000 (about US$19,505 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Jean de Bavière, élu (1389-1418), AR florin d'or (florin de Bavière), s.d. (à partir de 1394), Saint-Trond. D/ IOH B-AVARIE DVX - COME LOS Le prince-évêque deb. de f., portant une armure ornée d'une mitre, ten. son épée sur l'épaule et posant la main sur l'écu de Bavière. A g., un lion rampant. R/ + FLORINI DE SCO TRVDONE Ecu écartelé de Bavière-Palatinat dans un polylobe cantonné d'annelets. Extrêmement rare. Très légères traces de monture (?). Très Beau. Provient de la collection Piat, Dupriez, Bruxelles, vente 101, 28 novembre 1910, 176 (vendu 155 francs) et de la collection de Lhoneux. (prince-bishopric of Liège, John of Bavaria, bishop elect, 1389-1418, undated gold florin of Bavaria, struck after 1394, St.-Trond mint. Obverse: the price-bishop stands, with a miter on his armor, bearing a sword and supporting his arms of Bavaria, at left, a lion rampant; reverse: quartered arms of Bavaria-Palatinate in a polylobe cantonned with annulets. Extremely rare, traces of a mount. Very Fine.)

Jean de Bavière fit ouvrir un atelier à Saint-Trond qu'il utilisa pour imiter des types étrangers. Son activité fut très réduite puisqu'on n'en connaît que trois types qui sont tous les trois présentés ici à la vente: ce florin de Bavière, le florin au saint Jean et le gros heaumé. Ce florin de Bavière est une imitation servile du florin d'or d'Albert de Bavière, le père de Jean de Bavière, qui fut frappé en Hollande à partir d'avril 1394 (Grolle 18.3.6). Pour accentuer la ressemblance avec le type imité, la titulature du droit a été déplacée et débute à 10 heures, de façon que les lettres AVARIE soient placées en début de légende, avec le V gravé tel un L, ce qui renforce la confusion avec la légende ALBER' du type hollandais. (John of Bavaria opened a mint in Saint-Trond which he used to imitate foreign types. Its activity was very limited since we only know of three types, all of which are presented here for sale: this Bavarian florin, the Saint John florin and the large helm d'or. This Bavarian florin is a slavish imitation of the gold florin of Albert of Bavaria, the father of John of Bavaria, which was minted in Holland from April 1394. To accentuate the resemblance with the imitated type, the title of the right has been moved and begins at 10 o'clock, so that the letters AVARIE are placed at the start of the legend, with the V engraved like an L, which reinforces the confusion with the legend ALBER' of the Dutch type.)"

John was appointed bishop at the age of fifteen with the support of his father, the duke of Bavaria. He quickly antagonized his new subjects, who expelled him more than once. Finally, he surrendered his crozier and miter in 1418 and married Elizabeth, countess of Luxembourg, and became duke of Bavaria himself. He died in 1425.

Reported Mintage: unknown.

Specification: gold, this specimen 2,88 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-284, Chestret 281; coll. Piat 176 (this example); Dengis 620 (three examples reported); Delm-318.

Source:

  • Delmonte, A., Le Bénélux D'or, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman N.V., 1964, with supplements to 1977.
  • Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
  • [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 158, Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.

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