Liege 1695 3 ducats Fr-330

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Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1207

This specimen was lot 1207 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €42,000 (about US$53,888 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Joseph Clément de Bavière (1694-1723), AV triple ducat, 1695, Liège. Tranche lisse. D/ (rosette) IOSEPH CLEM D G ARC COL PRIN ELEC B. à d., vêtu du manteau d'électeur, coiffé d'une longue perruque. R/ (étoile) EP ET PRINC LEOD- DVX BVL MA F CO L H Ecu couronné, écartelé aux armes de la principauté, l'écusson de Bavière-Palatinat sur le tout. En dessous, la valeur 3 dans un cercle. De la plus haute rareté. Légère faiblesse de frappe à 9 h dans la légende. Très Beau à Superbe/Superbe. Le meilleur des deux exemplaires vendus depuis plus d'un siècle. Provient de la collection Piat, vente Dupriez 101, Bruxelles, 29 novembre 1910, 472 (vendu 310 francs). (principality of Liège, Joseph Clement of Bavaria, 1694-1723, gold triple ducat of 1695, Liège mint, plain edge. Obverse: peruked bust right, in an elector's mantle; reverse: crowned and quartered arms of the principality with the escutcheon of Bavaria-Palatinate, the value below in a circle. Of the highest rarity, slightly weakly struck at 9 o'clock. Very Fine - Extremely Fine/Extremely Fine. The better of two examples sold in more than a century.)

"A la mort de Jean-Louis d'Elderen, la maison de Bavière parvint une nouvelle fois à faire élire l'un des siens comme prince-évêque de Liège. Son influence était alors culminante dans nos régions puisque le gouverneur des Pays-Bas espagnols n'était autre que Maximilien Emmanuel de Bavière, le frère de Joseph Clément, archevêque de Cologne depuis 1688. Pendant la guerre de succession d'Espagne, les princes de Bavière prirent le parti de la France et de Philippe V. Joseph Clément autorisa même l'armée française à occuper la citadelle de Liège mais il dut ensuite l'accompagner dans sa retraite tandis que Marlborough marchait sur la principauté. Un gouverneur intérimaire fut nommé pour l'administrer et des garnisons hollandaises s'y installèrent. Le prince-évêque resta en exil à Lille jusqu'à la fin de la guerre. En 1714, le traité de Baden lui rendit ses Etats. La gravure de ce splendide triple ducat est l'oeuvre de François Mivion, lequel était aussi orfèvre de la cathédrale. Il fut frappé en 1695, 1698, 1700 et 1702. Seuls des exemplaires de 1695 et 1700 sont connus, ceux de 1698 et 1702 n'ont pas été retrouvés. (On the death of Jean-Louis d'Elderen, the house of Bavaria once again managed to have one of its own elected as prince-bishop of Liège. His influence was then peaking in the region since the governor of the Spanish Netherlands was none other than Maximilian Emmanuel of Bavaria, the brother of Joseph Clément, archbishop of Cologne since 1688. During the War of the Spanish Succession, the princes of Bavaria took the side of France and Philip V. Joseph Clément even authorized the French army to occupy the citadel of Liège but he then had to accompany it in its retreat while Marlborough marched on the principality. An interim governor was appointed to administer it and Dutch garrisons were established there. The prince-bishop remained in exile in Lille until the end of the war. In 1714, the Treaty of Baden returned his States to him. The engraving of this splendid triple ducat is the work of François Mivion, who was also the cathedral's goldsmith. It was minted in 1695, 1698, 1700 and 1702. Only examples dated 1695 and 1700 have been found, none of 1698 or 1702.)"

Joseph Clement was the fourth 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.
  • John Theodore, r. 1744-63, bishop of Regensburg (1719-63), Freising (1727-63) and Liège (1744-63).

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 10.50 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen is 10,41 g.

Catalog reference: KM 111, Fr-330, Chestret 660; Dengis 1135; Delm-364.

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.
  • Jean-Luc Dengis, Les Monnaies de la Principauté de Liege, 3 vols. Wetteren: Moneta, 2006.
  • 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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