Liege 1646 daler Dav-4291
This specimen was lot 1170 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €240 (about US$308 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Ferdinand de Bavière (1612-1650), AR daler Ferdinand de 36 patards, 1646, Liège. Au titre de duc de Bouillon. D/ B. à g. en costume électoral. R/ Cartouche aux armes de Bouillon, sous une couronne, entre F-B. En dessous, 1646-XXXVI. Très rare. Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1612-50, silver dollar of 36 patards of 1646, Liège mint, struck in the name of the duke of Bouillon. Obverse: bust left in electoral costume; reverse: cartouche with the arms of Bouillon, crown above, dividing the initials "F-B", below, the date and value. Very rare, 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 type was struck 1619-25, 1630, 1634-37, 1641, 1645-46. It is listed in the SCWC as a daler of 30 patards but noted here as a daler of 36 patards. We believe the coin remained the same but inflation raised its value. Another daler, the daler à la Vierge et au saint Lambert, was also struck in 1646.
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 15,93 g.
Catalog reference: KM 60.4, Dav-4291, Chestret 592; Dengis 1062A; Delm-467.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
- [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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