Liege 1583 2 aidant
This specimen was lot 1129 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Ernest de Bavière (1581-1612), billon double aidant, 1583, Maaseik (?). D/ Ecu couronné, écartelé de Bavière-Palatinat. R/ Croix longue coupant la légende, cantonnée de deux fleurs et deux lions, une fleur en coeur. Très rare. Très Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991, de la collection Bovier et de la collection Piat. (principality of Liège, Ernest of Bavaria, 1581-1612, billon double aidant of 1583, perhaps Maaseik mint. Obverse: crowned and quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate; reverse: long cross cutting the legend, cantonned with two flowers and two lions, a flower at the center. Very rare, very Fine.)"
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. A double aidant was a double patard or double stuiver.
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: silver, this specimen is 1,03 g.
Catalog reference: Chestret 537; coll. Piat 355 (this example); Dengis 986.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- [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.
Link to:
- (1578-83) brûlé d'un aidant
- (1581-1612) liard, Ernest of Bavaria
- (15)82 demi-ernestus = 3 patards
- 1582 ernestus (réal), Hasselt and Maaseik mints
- 1583 brûlé de 12 sols, Maaseik mint
- 1583 brûlé de 16 sols, Maaseik mint
- (1584) brûlé de 8 sols (tiers de liard)
- 1584 brûlé de 12 sols (gigot) = ½ liard
- 1584 brûlé de 16 sols
- 1584 demi-ernestus
- 1584 daler à l'écu
- Coins and currency dated 1583