Orange 1660 1/12 ecu
This specimen was lot 823 in UBS sale 85 (Zürich, September 2010), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANKREICH, Orange, Fürstentum, Guillaume-Henri, 1650-1702. Luigino (5 Sols) 1660. Jugendliches, geharnischtes Brustbild nach rechts. Rv. Gekröntes Wappen. Kl. Kr. Fast vorzüglich-vorzüglich" (France, Pricipality of Orange, William Henry, 1650-1702, luigino (5 sols) of 1660. Young draped bust to right. Reverse: crowned arms. Tiny scratches, Extremely Fine to nice Extremely Fine)
The Principality of Orange was an enclave in the kingdom of France in the Rhone valley, ruled by the dukes of Nassau. The title passed to the Stadtholder of the Netherlands who remained a French ally so long as the Dutch were struggling with the Spanish. At the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648, the Spanish recognized Dutch independence and now William had to contend with Louis XIV, a much more formidable adversary. The French occupied Orange in 1672 and annexed it in 1713. The coinage ended in 1667. This twelfth écu or five sols matches a very similar French coin.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 2.29 g, 0.917 fine silver, 19-20 mm diameter, this specimen 2,32 g.
Catalog reference: Cammarano 305. Poey d'Avant 4639, KM 115 (unlisted date).
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]UBS Auction 85: Gold and Silver Coins, Zürich: UBS AG, 2010.
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