France 1564-L teston

Jean Elsen sale 117, lot 1761

This specimen was lot 1761 in Jean Elsen sale 117 (Brussels, June 2013), where it sold for €100 (about US$158 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Charles IX (1560-1574), AR teston, 1564 L, Bayonne. 3e type. Droit: B. l. et cuirassé à gauche. Revers: Ecu couronné, entre deux K couronnés. Eclat du flan. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Charles IX (1560-74), silver teston of 1564, Bayonne mint, third type. Obverse: laureate and armored bust to left; reverse: crowned arms between two crowned 'K's'. Rim bump, very fine.)"

This teston is listed in Duplessy for the Bayonne mint 1562-74, which used crowned "K's" instead of "C's". Sombart reports eleven known of this date, making it fairly common.

Recorded mintage: 122,604 including a few demi-testons.

Specification: 9.59 g, .899 fine silver, this specimen 9.32 g.

Catalog reference: Dupl-1069; Ci-1359; Laf-899, Sb-4610.

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.
• ^[1]Elsen, Philippe, Vente Publique 117: Collection Jean-Jacques Symoens, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses fils, S.A., 2013.

Link to:

• 1563-D teston
• 1563-L teston
• 1563-M teston
• 1564-H teston
• 1564-M teston
• 1564-H écu d'or au soleil
• 1564-I écu d'or au soleil
• 1564-K écu d'or au soleil
• 1564-M écu d'or au soleil
• 1566-H teston
• 1566-M teston
• 1567-L teston
• Coins and currency dated 1564
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)