Liege 1636 1/2 escalin
This specimen was lot 1168 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €400 (about US$513 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Ferdinand de Bavière (1612-1650), AR demi-escalin, 1636, Liège. D/ Croix feuillue avec un quadrilobe au centre. R/ Ecu de Bavière couronné, chargé de l'écusson de Bouillon, dans un polylobe. Extrêmement rare. Trace de pliure. Beau à Très Beau. Provient de la collection H. Frère, 23 mai 2002. (principality of Liège, Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1612-50, silver half escalin of 1636, Liège mint. Obverse: leafy cross with a quadrilove at the center; reverse: crowned arms of Bavaria, with the escutcheon of Bouillon, in a polylobe. Extremely rare, traces of a crease, Fine to 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. This one year type is rare. Demi-escalins of Maximilian Henry (KM 75) are much more available.
Ferdinand was the second 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 2,36 g.
Catalog reference: KM 64.2, Chestret 607; coll. Piat -; Dengis 1060 (two examples reported); Delm-356.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [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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