Liege (1399-1418) florin d'or Fr-283
This specimen was lot 1040 in Jean Elsen sale 158 (Brussels, March 2024), where it sold for €22,000 (about US$28,608 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Jean de Bavière, élu (1389-1418), AR florin d'or au saint Jean, s.d. (à partir de 1399), Saint-Trond. D/ S· IOHAEI- S· BNDICTS· Saint Jean-Baptiste deb. de f., bénissant et ten. un sceptre cr. sur l'épaule. Une croisette entre ses pieds. R/ + MONETA OPIDI SACTI TRVD Dans un quadrilobe, écu au lion entre quatre écussons (Bavière, Empire et deux écussons à la croix). De la plus haute rareté. Très Beau à Superbe. Provient de de Geus, Eindhoven, vente 9, 3 avril 2000, 511. (prince-bishopric of Liège, John of Bavaria, bishop elect, 1389-1418, undated gold florin of St. John, struck after 1399, St. Trond mint. Obverse: St. John the Baptist stands, hand raised in blessing and holding a scepter, a crosslet between his feet; reverse: within a quadrilobe, a shield with a lion between four escutcheons. Extremely rare, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)
Imitation du florin d'or rhénan de Jean II de Nassau, archevêque de Mayence, frappé à Bingen et Höchst en 1399-1402. Le type imité présente aussi une croisette entre les pieds du saint au droit et au revers un écu central au lion entre deux écus à la croix (Trèves et Cologne), avec la légende débutant par MONETA OPIDI (Felke 622-632). (Imitation of the Rhenish gold florin of John II of Nassau, archbishop of Mainz, minted in Bingen and Höchst in 1399-1402. The imitated type also presents a cross between the feet of the saint on the right and on the reverse a central shield with the lion between two shields with the cross (Trier and Cologne), with the legend beginning with MONETA OPIDI.)"
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 3,42 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-283, Chestret 282 var.; coll. Piat 177 var. (two examples known, sold 430 francs); Dengis 621 var.; Delm-319 var.
- 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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