Provence (1267-77) gros tournois

From CoinVarieties
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Jean Elsen sale 160, lot 768
JE160-0768r.jpg
southeast France at the end of the Hundred Years War

This specimen was lot 768 in Jean Elsen sale 160 (Brussels, November 2024), where it sold for €360 (about US$456 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, PROVENCE, Comté, Charles Ier d'Anjou (1245-1285), AR gros tournois, 1267-1277, Avignon. Au titre de roi de Sicile. Différent: rosette au droit et au revers. D/ Croix pattée. En légende intérieure: KAROLVS SCL' REX. R/ COMES PVINCIE (les C carrés) Châtel tournois fleurdelisé. Sur le tour, bordure de douze lis. Rare. Belle patine. Très Beau à Superbe. (France, county of Provence, Charles I of Anjou, 1245-85, silver gros tournois, circa 1267-77, Avignon mint, with the title of king of Sicily; rosette privy mark on obverse and reverse. Obverse: cross pattée; reverse: castle of Tours, a border of twelve lilies around. Rare, nice patina, very fine to extremely fine.)"

This early gros tournois was worth 12 deniers tournois. Victim of many debasements, the gros tournois would eventually split into a billon version worth ten deniers tournois and a silver version worth 24 deniers tournois. Wikipedia notes,

"Charles I (early 1226/1227 – 7 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 and 1285, he was Count of Provence and Forcalquier in the Holy Roman Empire and Count of Anjou and Maine in France. In 1272 he was proclaimed King of Albania, in 1277 he purchased a claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and in 1278 he became Prince of Achaea after the previous ruler, William of Villehardouin, died without heirs."

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, this specimen is 4,05 g.

Catalog reference: B. 896 var.; Rolland 35c; P.A. 3940 var.

Source:

  • Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
  • [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 160, Collection de deniers liegeois et Collection de monnaies d'or francaises, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.

Link to:

Retrieved from "https://coinvarieties.com/index.php?title=Provence_(1267-77)_gros_tournois&oldid=467581"