Liege 1614 couronne d'or Fr-318

Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1149

This specimen was lot 1149 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €2,400 (about US$3,079 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Ferdinand de Bavière (1612-1650), AV couronne d'or (écu d'or), 1614, Hasselt. D/ Croix feuillue et fourchue, un bonnet électoral à chaque bras, cantonnée de quatre F. R/ Ecu couronné en forme de coeur, posé sur une crosse et une épée en sautoir. Très rare. Très Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1612-50, gold crown of 1614, Hasselt mint. Obverse: a leafy cross, an electoral cap on the end of each arm, cantonned with four "F's"; reverse: crowned arms over a cross and a sword. Very rare, Very Fine.)"

The bishopric of Liège was an ecclesiastical state in central Belgium. The surrounding territory was ruled by the Spanish Hapsburgs from about 1500 until 1699 and the Austrian Hapsburgs 1714-97.

Ferdinand was the second 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.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.36 g, 0.952 fine gold, this specimen is 3,32 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-318, KM 53, Chestret 580; Dengis 1028; Delm. 352.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• Delmonte, A., Le Bénélux D'or, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman N.V., 1964, with supplements to 1977.
• 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.
• ^[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:

• Liege (1613) real
• (1613) double patard, plain arms
• 1613 double teston, Bouillon mint
• 1613 quadruple teston, Bouillon mint
• 1613 écu d'or, Bouillon mint
• 1613 florin d'or, Bouillon mint
• 1613 double couronne d'or, Bouillon mint
• Liege 1614 gigot = ½ liard
• 1614 demi-daler au lion de 15 patards
• 1614 nouveau daler Ferdinand de 30 sols
• (1614) florin d'or au type rhénan
• 1615 demi-daler Ferdinand de 15 sols
• Coins and currency dated 1614