Liege 1594 patard
This specimen was lot 1114 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €380 (about US$488 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Ernest de Bavière (1581-1612), AR patard, 1594, Liège. Au titre de Rodolphe II de Habsbourg. D/ Ecu couronné, écartelé de Bavière-Palatinat. R/ Croix longue et ornée, avec l'aigle impériale en coeur. Très rare. Petites fêlures du flan. Très Beau. Provient de la collection H. Frère, 25 avril 2002. (principality of Liège, Ernest of Bavaria, 1581-1612, silver patard of 1594, Liège mint, struck in the name of Rudolf II. Obverse: crowned and quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate; reverse: ornate long cross, imperial eagle at the center. Very rare, minor planchet cracks. 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.
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 1,50 g.
Catalog reference: Chestret 540; Dengis 966.
- 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:
- 1590 brûlé de 8 sols (tiers de liard)
- (15)90 demi-ernestus = 1/2 ernestus = 3 patards
- (1594) brûlé de 6 sols
- (1594) brûlé de 12 sols copper piedfort
- (1606) gigot, Liège mint = ½ liard
- (1606) gigot, Maaseik mint
- Coins and currency dated 1594