Liege 1581 florin d'or Fr-310

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Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1105

This specimen was lot 1105 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €13,000 (about US$16,680 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Ernest de Bavière (1581-1612), AV florin d'or, 1581, Hasselt. Au titre de Rodolphe II de Habsbourg (1576-1612). D/ + ERNEST- BAVAR- DVX EP- LEODN Ecu écartelé de Bavière-Palatinat dans un cartouche orné, entre les écussons de Liège, Hildesheim et Freisingen coupant la légende. R/ RVDOL II ROM IMP ELEC SEM AV 81 Aigle impériale éployée et couronnée. Extrêmement rare. Flan large et légèrement bosselé. Très Beau à Superbe. Sept exemplaires réportoriés, dont six en collection publique. Provient de Monnaies et Médailles, avec une ancienne étiquette manuscrite (acheté en 1951 à Bâle pour 3000 francs, rarissime). (principality of Liège, Ernest of Bavaria, 1581-1612, gold florin of 1581, Hasselt mint, struck in the name of Rudolf II. Obverse: quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate in an ornate cartouche, with the shields of Liège, Hildesheim and Freisingen cutting the legend; reverse: crowned imperial eagle. Extremely rare, well struck on a large planchet, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)

"A la mort de Gérard de Groesbeeck, le chapitre de Saint-Lambert choisit pour lui succéder un membre de la puissante maison de Bavière, à même de maintenir l'indépendance et la neutralité de la principauté. Ernest de Bavière, même s'il ne reçut jamais les ordres sacrés, devint successivement prince-évêque de Liège, archevêque de Cologne et postulé de Münster, soit l'un des plus puissants princes allemands de son temps. Il fut le premier prélat d'une véritable dynastie de princes bavarois qui gouvernèrent la principauté quasiment sans interruption jusqu'au milieu du 18e siècle. (On the death of Gérard de Groesbeeck, the chapter of Saint-Lambert chose to succeed him a member of the powerful house of Bavaria, able to maintain the independence and neutrality of the principality. Ernest of Bavaria, even if he never received sacred orders, successively became prince-bishop of Liège, archbishop of Cologne and postulate of Münster, one of the most powerful German princes of his time. He was the first prelate of a true dynasty of Bavarian princes who governed the principality almost without interruption until the middle of the 18th century.)"

The bishopric of Liège was an ecclesiastical state in central Belgium. The surrounding territory was ruled by the Spanish Hapsburgs from about 1500 until 1699 and the Austrian Hapsburgs 1714-97.

Ernest was the first of four prince-bishops from Bavaria. They were also dukes of Bouillon, archbishops of Cologne and electors of the Empire, all of which titles appeared in various combinations on their coins. They are as follows:

  • Ernest, r. 1581-1612, archbishop of Cologne (1583-1612), bishop of Münster (1584-1612), Freising, Hildesheim and Liège.
  • Ferdinand, r. 1612-50, archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, Paderborn (1618-50) and Liège. Never ordained as a priest.
  • Maximilian Henry, r. 1650-88, archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim and Liège. Lost the duchy of Bouillon to Louis XIV.
  • Joseph Clement, r. 1688-1723, bishop of Regensburg and Freising (1685-94) and archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Hildesheim (1702-23) and Liège (1694-1723).
  • Clemens August, r. 1723-61, bishop of Regensburg (1716-19) and then archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, Osnabrück and Paderborn but never ruled in Liège. His incompetence and extravagance ended Wittelsbach rule in Cologne.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.25 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen is 3,13 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-310, Chestret 527; coll. Piat -; Dengis 951; Delm-343.

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 156, Collection de Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2023.

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