Aquitaine (1469-72) 1/2 hardi d'or Fr-21

from the Stacks Bowers 2018 ANA sale, lot 20383

This specimen was lot 20383 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it sold for $18,000. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Aquitaine. 1/2 Hardi d'Or, ND (1469-72). Bordeaux Mint. Charles de France (1468-74). PCGS AU-58 Secure Holder. Obverse: 'KAROLVS DVX AQVITANIE'. Charles, crowned, facing, bearing a sword in his right hand; Reverse: 'XPC REGNAT XPC IMPERAT XPC VINCIT', floriate cross terminating in two oak leaves and an acorn. Light doubling appears at the legends, but the portrait and the surrounding surfaces attractive, with vivid orange gold coloration. A great rarity in any state and after consultation with archived auction records, seemingly the only example to appear at major public auction in at least a decade." This coin was issued for Charles, duke of Berry and younger brother of Louis XI, during his brief tenure as duke of Aquitaine, which was terminated by his death at the age of 25 in 1472. This type and the accompanying hardi d'or (Fr-20) are rare and represent the last gold issue for this duchy, which was firmly part of France on the conclusion of the Hundred Years War (1453).

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-21; Poey d'Avant-3147.

Source:

• 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]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.

Link to:

• Aquitaine (1469-72) hardi d'or Fr-20
• Aquitaine (1469-72) cavalier d'or Fr-19
• Coins and currency dated 1469
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)