France 1559-B teston

Goldberg sale 128, lot 1727

This specimen was lot 1727 in Goldberg sale 128 (Los Angeles, June 2022), where it sold for $92. The catalog description^[1] noted, "France. Teston, 1559-B (Rouen). Henri II, 1547-1559. Laureate but right. Reverse: Crowned shield, flanked by two crowned H's, B below. NGC graded Fine-12." Sombart^[2] reports none known in his survey, making this a rare date. The teston had a face value of 11 sols, 4 deniers. It was struck 1559-60 during the reign of Francis II but with the laureate bust of Henry II.

Recorded mintage: 49,801^[2], including a few half testons.

Specification: 9.59 g, .899 fine silver, this specimen 9.23 g.

Catalog reference: Sb 4558, Dupl-983.

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.
• ^[2]Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
• ^[1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Stephen Harvey and Vera Liu, Goldberg Sale 128: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2022.

Links to:

• 1559-H teston
• 1559-K teston
• 1559-M teston
• 1559-B demi-henri d'or
• 1559-B henri d'or
• 1560-D teston
• 1560-M teston
• Coins and currency dated 1559
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)