Lorraine (1608-24) florin Fr-152
The first specimen was lot 811 in Jean Elsen sale 135 (Brussels, December 2017), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, LORRAINE, Henri (1608-1624), AV florin d'or au saint Nicolas, s.d., Nancy. D/ Armes de Lorraine en plein champ. R/ Saint Nicolas deb. de f., ten. une crosse et bénissant. A ses pieds, les trois enfants ressuscités dans un saloir. NANCEII C-V en fin de légende. Sans différent à l'exergue. Très rare. Très Beau. (France, duchy of Lorraine, Henry III (1608-24), undated gold florin of St. Nicholas, Nancy mint. Obverse: arms of Lorraine in a plain field; reverse: St. Nicholas standing, bearing a crozier and raising his hand in blessing; at his feet, the three revived babies in a basket, without privy mark in the exergue. Very rare, Very Fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 6084 in Künker sale 336 (Osnabrück, Germany, March 2020), where it sold for €1,800 (about US$2,356 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANKREICH/LOTHRINGEN, HERZOGTUM, Heinrich II. 1608-1624. Florin d'or au Saint-Nicolas o. J. Nancy. GOLD. Winz. Schrötlingsriß, sehr schön +. (duchy of Lorraine, Henry II, 1608-24, undated gold florin of St. Nicholas, Nancy mint. Minor flaws, very fine or better.)"
Lorraine in the early eighteenth century was in the borderlands between France and Germany and was contested between them. In 1608, she was still part of the Empire but the duke was a French client. This undated florin d'or was struck for Henry II.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.25 g, gold, both specimens 3,21 g.
Catalog reference: Flon 671, 1-4 var.; Saulcy XXIV, 4 var.; coll. Robert 1516, KM 20, Fr-152.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 135, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2017.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- [2]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 336: Gold coins from all over the World|German Coins after 1871. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2020.
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