France 1611-M 1/2 franc

Jean Elsen sale 144, lot 1689

This specimen was lot 1689 in Jean Elsen sale 144 (Brussels, March 2020), where it sold for €750 (about US$988 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri IV (1589-1610), AR demi-franc, 1611M, Toulouse. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d. R/ Croix fleuronnée, H en coeur. Eclats du flan. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Henry IV, 1589-1610, silver half franc of 1611, Toulouse mint. Obverse: laureate and armored bust right; reverse: floriate cross, "H" in the center. Rim nicks, Very Fine.)"

The specimen shown is a posthumous demi-franc of Henry IV of France (r. 1589-1610) struck by the hammer at the Toulouse mint (mintmark "M") in 1611. This particular specimen has the obverse legend beginning at the bottom. Its face value was 10 sols tournois. Sombart does not mention any posthumous issues for Henry IV; if this specimen is genuine, it is very rare.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 7.09 g, 0.833 fine silver, this specimen 6,73 g.

Catalog reference: Dupl. 1212A; Ci. 1534; Laf. 1061.

Source:

Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
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, et al., Vente Publique 144, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2020.

Link to:

France 1611-M 1/2 franc

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