Batenburg (1578-81) couronne d'or Fr-15

Heritage sale 3094, lot 33267

This specimen was lot 33267 in Heritage sale 3094 (Chicago, August 2021), where it sold for $24,000. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Netherlands: Unique Batenburg Gold Crown - A Stunning Discovery Piece. Herman Diederik van Bronckhorst (1573-1612) gold Nieuwe Zonnekroon (Nouvelle Couronne d'Or) ND (after 1578-1581?) MS63 NGC, Batenburg mint. Hendrik Hansen as mintmaster. HER • THE • D • BRON • II •B • I • BA • S •, baronial crown over joint arms of Blankenheim or Roucy, Stein, Bronckhorst, and Batenburg (slight variations in arms of Batenburg) / (oblique or St. Andrew's cross) DNS • ADIVTOR • Z • FIDVCIA • ME •, ornate cross with H-T-D-R in angles. An absolutely stunning discovery piece, altogether missing from even the highest-end Dutch collections-including Schellhass, Brand, and Ferrari, as well as all the holdings of all major Dutch institutions-with specialist Jan C. van der Wis confirming this die variety as entirely unique and never-before-seen on auction. Previously known only as a product of Hendrik van Velthuysen (mintmaster at Batenburg between 1576 and 1578), this specimen instead displays the oblique cross mark of Hendrik Hansen, whose tenure at the Batenburg mint is somewhat more hazily understood today (though his mark is known on some contemporary Daalders, cf. Dav-8568). Several other small die varieties also exist, including the omission of the final T from ST in the obverse legend, and some minor variations in the arms of Batenburg. The last feature in itself is hardly unusual, given that the type was an open imitation of the Ecu d'Or of Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy (cf. Dup-2849, MIR-497), and were intended to circulate alongside their prototypes-key variants in the design allowing them to hover in the gray area between outright counterfeits and legal copies.

Originally known to Van der Chijs from only a single example in 1853, the Nieuwe Zonnekroon of Hendrik van Velthuysen were elaborated by Delmonte in 1963 to comprise just three pieces, all residing in museums-the Cabinet of the Hague, the Cabinet de Bruxelles, and the Teyler Museum in Haarlem. Today, the research of van der Wis has added just two specimens, both of van Velthuysen, and both off the market, solidifying the present selection not only as one-of-a-kind, but also as the sole example of the type available to collectors, and just the sixth coin from this series known to have survived to the present day.

Visually, the offering's preservation over the last 300+ years can only be regarded as remarkable, its flan is incredibly even and unbent, minimally stressed, and presents virtually full detail. Some extremely minor scuffing is noted over the D and the arm of the cross between D and B on the reverse, though this is rapidly offset by a still pervasive luster that washes over the fields. Simply put, an opportunity not to be missed by any serious collector of Dutch coinage!"

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: gold, this specimen 24 mm diameter, 3.34 g.

Catalog reference: cf. Fr-15 (Rare), Van der Chijs-XV.2 var. (different mintmaster, slight variations in design), Delm-694 var. (R4; same), PW-Ba02 var. (same), CNM-2.05.49 var. (same), Pannekeet-BAT.2 var. (R4; same).

Source:

• 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.
• van der Wis, Jan, and Tom Passon, Catalogus van de Nederlandse Munten geslagen sind bet aantreden van Philips II tot aan het einde van de Bataafse Republiek (1555-1806), 2nd ed., Apeldoorn, Netherlands: Omni-Trading b.v., 2009.
• ^[1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, ANA WFOM World & Ancient Coins Platinum Night Signature Auction #3094, featuring the Cape Coral Collection, the WTR Collection and the Monaco Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

Link to:

• Batenburg (1556-73)-WB ducat Fr-7
• 1578 leeuwendaalder
• Holland 1580 couronne d'or Fr-146
• Coins and currency dated 1578