Liege 1638 ducat Fr-323
This specimen was lot 1169 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €6,500 (about US$8,340 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Ferdinand de Bavière (1612-1650), AV ducat de Bouillon, 1638, Liège. D/ FE-RDI ELEC COL EPS LEOD BAV DV-X Cartouche ovale et couronné aux armes écartelées de Bavière-Palatinat, avec l'écusson de Bouillon sur le tout, posé sur une crosse et une épée en sautoir. R/ Dans un cadre orné de rinceaux: DVCATVS/ NOVVS DVC/ BVLLONI/ENSIS. A g. et à d., 1-6/3-8. Très rare. Etat de conservation exceptionnel. Superbe à Fleur de Coin. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1612-50, gold ducat of Bouillon of 1638, Liège mint. Obverse: crowned oval cartouche with the quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate with the escutcheon of Bouillon over a cross and a sword; reverse: Very rare, exceptional quality, Extremely Fine to Uncirculated.)
"Il s'agit du plus ancien ducat liégeois, frappé au pied de l'Empire à partir du 16 juin 1638 sans l'agrément du Chapitre de Saint-Lambert. Constatant qu'il était mis en circulation au cours excessif de 6 florins, le Chapitre ordonna le 5 novembre suivant de cesser immédiatement sa fabrication. (This is the oldest ducat from Liege, struck to the standard of the Empire after June 1638 without the consent of the Chapter of St. Lambert. It was placed into circulation at the excessive face value of six florins, the chapter ordained the following November 5 to cease production immediately.)"
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, like all of the gold coins of this state, is rare.
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: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen is 3,43 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-323, KM 63, Chestret 584; coll. Piat -; Dengis 1061.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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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