Liege 1656 ducat Fr-324

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Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1182

This specimen was lot 1182 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €4,000 (about US$5,132 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Maximilien Henri de Bavière (1650-1688), AV ducat de Bouillon, 1656, Liège. D/ 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 DV/ BVLLONI/ENSIS. En dessous, la date. Extrêmement rare. Superbe. (principality of Liège, Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, 1650-88, gold ducat of Bouillon of 1656, Liège mint. Obverse: oval cartouche with the quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate with the escutcheon of Bouillon over a cross and a sword; reverse: four line inscription, date below. Extremely rare, extremely Fine.)

"Maximilien Henri de Bavière succéda à son oncle Ferdinand en 1650. Pour assurer sa domination sur ses turbulents sujets, il imposa la construction de la citadelle de Sainte-Walburge qui dominait la cité. Pendant les guerres de Louis XIV, la principauté fut plusieurs fois occupée par l'armée française et le duché de Bouillon fut définitivement perdu. Après le départ des troupes françaises, qui firent sauter les remparts de la citadelle, les Liégeois en achevèrent la destruction et rétablirent leurs anciens privilèges. Maximilien Henri revint alors dans la principauté, qu'il avait quittée depuis treize ans, à la tête d'une armée allemande et imposa à la ville le Règlement de 1684 qui réduisait au minimum les privilèges de la cité et enlevait aux métiers tout pouvoir politique. (Maximilian Henry of Bavaria succeeded his uncle Ferdinand in 1650. To assure his domination over his turbulent subjects, he imposed the construction of the castle of St. Walburg which dominated the town. During the wars of Louis XIV, the pricipality was occupied many times by the French army and the duchy of Bouillon was permanently lost. After the departure of the French troops, who had damaged the ramparts of the citadel, the citizens destroyed the castle and reestablished their old privileges. Maximilian Henry returned to his domain, which he had left thirteen years before, at the head of a German army and imposed on the town the Regulation of 1684 which reduced to a minimum the privileges of the city and seized all political power.)"

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 1651-58 and 1661.

Maximilian Henry was the third 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.
  • Johann Theodor, r. 1744-63, bishop of Regensburg (1719-63), Freising (1727-63) and Liège (1744-63).

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen is 3,48 g.

Catalog reference: KM 74, Fr-324, Chestret 633; Dengis 1096; Delm-357.

Source:

  • 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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