Austrian Netherlands 1752(l) 1/2 souverain d'or Fr-237

Sincona sale 4, lot 4265

This specimen was lot 4265 in Sincona sale 4 (Zürich, October 2011) where it sold for 700 CHF (about US$931 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"BELGIEN Flandern, Grafschaft Maria Theresia, 1740-1780. Souverain d’or 1752, Brügge. Gekröntes Brustbild nach rechts. Rv. Gekrönte Wappenkartusche auf gekreuzten Stäben. Sehr schön. (County of Flanders, Maria Theresia, 1740-80, souverain d'or, Bruges mint. Obverse: crowned bust to right; reverse: crowned arms, crossed batons behind. Very fine)."

The SCWC correctly catalogs this as a half souverain d'or, as is clear by the weight. Friedberg is confusing, calling this a souverain d'or with a small diameter so the cataloguers at Sincona can be forgiven for the error. The "(l)" in the page title refers to the lion mintmark on the reverse, signifying Bruges; a hand was used for Antwerp. On the death of Charles VI in 1740, the redoubtable Maria Theresia was crowned Archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary but, being a woman, could not be given the imperial crown. Therefore, after much debate and a war fomented by Frederick the Great of Prussia, her husband Francis of Lorraine was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1745.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 5.53 g, 0.919 fine gold, .163 troy oz AGW; this specimen is 5,55 g.

Catalog reference: KM 17, Delm-571, Fr-237.

Source:

• Delmonte, A., Le Bénélux D'or, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman N.V., 1964, with supplements to 1977.
• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• 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]Numismatic Coins, Medals & Banknotes: Auction 4, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2011.

Link to:

• 1750 ½ souverain d'or
• 1751 1/8 ducaton
• 1751 demi-souverain d'or, Bruges mint
• 1752 double liard, Antwerp mint
• 1752 escalin, Antwerp mint
• 1752 double escalin, Antwerp mint
• 1752 huitième de ducaton, Antwerp mint
• 1752 quart de ducaton, Antwerp mint
• 1752 ducaton, Antwerp mint
• 1752 demi-souverain d'or, Antwerp mint
• 1753 demi-souverain d'or, Antwerp mint
• Coins and currency dated 1752
• return to coins of Austria, Austria-Netherlands