Liege 1611 teston

Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1136

This specimen was lot 1136 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €480 (about US$616 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Ernest de Bavière (1581-1612), AR teston de 15 patards, 1611, Bouillon. Premier type à la petite tête. D/ B. à g., vêtu d'un manteau d'hermine. R/ Ecu de Bouillon couronné, posé sur une crosse et une épée en sautoir, entre 16-11. En dessous, la valeur ·XV·. Extrêmement rare. Beau à Très Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Ernest of Bavaria, 1581-1612, silver teston of fifteen patards of 1611, Bouillon mint, first type with the small head. Obverse: bust of the prince-bishop to left in an ermine mantle; reverse: crowned arms of Bouillon over a cross and a sword, the date above and the value below. Extremely rare, Fine - 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. This silver teston was struck 1611-12.

Ernest was the first 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: silver, this specimen is 8,21 g.

Catalog reference: KM 17, Chestret 550; Dengis 1003; Delm-458.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• ^[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:

• (1609) patard
• (1609) double patard
• (1609) demi-réal (triple patard)
• 1610 liard
• 1611 double teston de 30 patards, cap interrupts legend
• (1612-50) gigot, "FERDINAND·D·G·EP·LEO·" = 1/2 liard
• (1612-50) liard, "FERDINAND·D·G·EPISCOPVS·LEOD·"
• 1612 teston, Ernest of Bavaria
• 1612 teston, Ferdinand of Bavaria
• Coins and currency dated 1611