France 1561-M teston

from the Stack's Bowers 2017 Collector's Choice sale, lot 72172

This specimen was lot 72172 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Santa Ana, CA, May 2017), where it sold for $352.50. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Teston, 1561-M. Henry II (1547-59). NGC AU-53. Lightly toned with good underlying luster." Duplessy lists this type for 1560-61. It was struck by the hammer for Charles IX, not Henry II. Henry II was killed in a tournament accident in 1559 but his bust was continued during the reign of his son Francis II and the first part of the reign of Charles IX. This coin had a face value of 11 sols and 4 deniers tournois.

Recorded mintage: 331,669 (including those with the bust of Charles IX).

Specification: 9.59 g, .899 fine silver.

Catalog reference: Roberts-3513, Duplessy-1052, Sb 4572 (24 examples reported).

Source:

• Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
• Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
• Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
• Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
• ^[1]Ponterio, Rick, et al., The May 2017 Collector's Choice Sale, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.

Link to:

• 1560-D teston
• 1560-M teston
• 1561-M demi-teston
• 1561-L teston
• 1561-Z teston du Dauphiné
• 1561-B henri d'or
• 1562-D teston
• 1562-H teston
• 1562-L teston
• Coins and currency dated 1561
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)