Liege 1700 patagon Dav-4303
This specimen was lot 1209 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €600 (about US$770 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LIEGE, Principauté, Joseph Clément de Bavière (1694-1723), AR patagon, 1700, Liège. Tranche cordonnée. D/ B. à d., vêtu du manteau d'électeur, coiffé d'une longue perruque. R/ Ecu couronné. Légères traces d'ajustage. Très Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Joseph Clement of Bavaria, 1694-1723, silver patagon of 1700, Liège mint, reeded edge. Obverse: peruked bust right, in an elector's mantle; reverse: crowned arms. Light adjustment marks, Very Fine.)"
This type was struck 1694-1700 and is rare. Joseph Clement was the last bishop to strike large coins (patagons and ducatons) for circulation. Issues made after his death in 1723 were strictly for presentation.
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: silver, this specimen is 27,73 g.
Catalog reference: KM 112.1, Dav-4303, Chestret 662; Dengis 1137; Delm-481.
- 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.
- Jean-Luc Dengis, Les Monnaies de la Principauté de Liege, 3 vols. Wetteren: Moneta, 2006.
- [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.
Link to: