Brabant (1549-52) silver florin
This specimen was lot 782 in Jean Elsen sale 121 (Brussels, June 2014), where it sold for €7,000 (about US$11,212 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRABANT, Duché, Charles Quint (1506-1555), AR florin Karolus d'argent, s.d. (1549-1552), Maastricht. Premier type. Droit: B. couronné et cuirassé de l'empereur à droite, la barbe longue. DVX· BVRG· Z· B· en fin de légende. Revers: Ecu d'Autriche-Bourgogne posé sur une croix fleuronnée coupant la légende. Extrêmement Rare. Très Beau. (duchy of Brabant, Charles the Fifth (1506-55), silver "carolus florin" without date (1549-52), Maastricht mint, first type. Obverse: crowned and armored bust of the emperor to right with a long beard. Reverse: arms of Austria-Burgundy over a floriate cross divides the legend. Extremely rare, very fine.)"
This rare type is not mentioned in Davenport, either because he was not aware of it or because it is too light to be counted as a thaler. This one has a star mintmark for Maastricht.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 22,72 g.
Catalog reference: G.H., 187-2; Delm-2; W., 668.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1484-1600, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1977.
- van Gelder, H. Enno, and Marcel Hoc, Les Monnaies des pays-Bas Bourguignons et Espagnols, 1434-1713, Amsterdam, J. Schulman, 1960, with supplement of 1964.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 121, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2014.
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