France 1608-A double tournois
The specimen shown is a double tournois of Henry IV (r. 1589-1610) struck by the hammer at the Paris mint (mintmark "A") in 1598-1610. For 1608, doubles tournois were struck at Paris, Lyon (mintmark "D") and Grenoble (mintmark "Z"). These coins were produced by private contractors in large quantities at a profusion of mints and in many varieties until the 1640's. The issues of Henry IV were reasonable compared to those of the regency of Louis XIII, when the queen-mother sold production contracts to many of her supporters. The face value was two deniers. This specimen was lot 1214 in Jean Elsen sale 112 (Brussels, March 2012) where it sold for €160 (about US$250 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE ROYALE, Henri IV (1589-1610), Cu double tournois, 1608 A, Paris. 1er type. Droit: B. l. et cuirassé à droite. Revers: Trois lis dans le champ. Très Beau. (France, Henry IV, 1589-1610, copper double tournois of 1608, Paris mint, first type. Obverse: armored, laureate bust to right, reverse: three fleur-de-lys in the field, very fine.)"
Recorded mintage: est. 1,896,400, a fairly common date.
Specification: 3.14 g, copper, this specimen 3.21 g.
Catalog reference: Dupl-1273; Ci., 1576; Laf., 1111, KM 16.1, Sb 4184.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 112, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2012.
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