France 1590-M 1/2 franc

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Jean Elsen sale 136, lot 1429

This specimen was lot 1429 in Jean Elsen sale 136 (Brussels, March 2018), where it sold for €64 (about US$94 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, La Ligue (1589-1596), AR demi-franc, 1590M, Toulouse. Au nom d'Henri III. D/ B. l. et cuir. à d. R/ Croix feuillue et fleurdelisée, H en coeur. presque Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Catholic League, 1589-96, silver half franc of 1590, Toulouse mint, in the name of Henry III. Obverse: laureate and armored bust to right; reverse: floriate cross, "H" at center. About very fine.)"

Altho Henry III died in 1589, designating his cousin Henry IV as his heir, the Catholic League refused to recognize the Protestant claimant and struck coins in the name of the dead king. Desperate for an acceptable alternate, the League later resorted to naming Charles of Bourbon, an ordained priest and a prisoner of Henry IV, as their candidate. Henry IV eventually converted to Catholicism and support for the League collapsed.

Recorded mintage: 16,898, a fairly common date. The mintage figure given here is likely fraudulently low.

Specification: 7.09 g, .833 fine silver, this specimen 5,70 g.

Catalog reference: Dupl-1160; Ci. -; Laf-1002, Sb 4716.

Source:

  • Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
  • 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 136: Collection Martiny, Collection Nef, Collection Casterman, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2018.

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