Brabant 1578(s) states daalder Dav-8639

Jean Elsen sale 158, lot 533

Brabant in 1559, from Shepherd's atlas

This specimen was lot 533 in Jean Elsen sale 158 (Brussels, March 2024), where it sold for €8,500 (about US$11,053 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"BRABANT, Duché, Les Etats en révolte (1577-1581), AR écu des Etats, 1578, Maastricht. D/ Le roi à mi-corps à g., couronné et cuirassé, ten. un grand sceptre. R/ Ecu couronné d'Autriche-Bourgogne, entouré du collier de la Toison d'or. De la plus haute rareté. De qualité exceptionnelle. Parfaitement frappé sur un flan large et régulier, avec un léger défaut au droit. Le meilleur exemplaire connu. Superbe à Fleur de Coin. (duchy of Brabant, States Revolt, 1577-81, silver States daalder of 1578, Maastricht mint. Obverse: crowned and armored half-lenght bust of the king, bearing a large scepter; reverse: crowned arms of Austria-Burgundy, Order chain around. Extremely rare, exceptional quality, perfectly struck on a large, round planchet with a light die defect on the obverse. Extremely fine - Uncirculated.)
Après la Furie espagnole et la Pacification de Gand, tous les Pays-Bas se trouvaient réunis dans leur opposition au gouvernement espagnol. En 1577 et 1578, les Etats Généraux firent frapper des doubles et simples florins des Etats ainsi que des écus, demis et quarts d'écus des Etats au buste et à la titulature de Philippe II car la personne du roi n'était pas attaquée directement mais bien le régime espagnol. L'écu royal fut cependant remplacé par l'ancien écu d'Autriche-Bourgogne de Philippe le Beau et Charles Quint. La légende PACE ET IVSTITIA exprimait clairement la revendication des Etats. Pour la première fois, la valeur en sous fut inscrite sur les monnaies d'argent à partir du demi-écu, soit 16-S, 8-S, 4-S et 1-S. L'écu des Etats devait en effet courir pour 32 sous, au même cours que les daldres d'empire, les écus de Bourgogne et les leeuwendaalders émis à un cours forcé en 1575 par les Etats de Hollande pour financer les dépenses militaires contre l'Espagne. Cette émission des Etats s'opposait cependant totalement à la politique monétaire royale qui visait surtout la stabilité du pied de la monnaie. Le contenu d'argent fin de l'écu des Etats (22,85 g) était de 16 % inférieur à celui de l'écu de Bourgogne (26,24 g). La différence entre ce cours forcé de 32 sous et la valeur intrinsèque permettait en partie le financement de l'effort de guerre contre les troupes espagnoles. (After the Spanish Fury and the Pacification of Ghent, all the Netherlands were united in their opposition to the Spanish government. In 1577 and 1578, the States General had double and single florins of the States as well as crowns, half and quarter crowns of the States struck with the bust and title of Philip II because the person of the king was not directly attacked but the Spanish regime. The royal arms were, however, replaced by the old Austrian-Burgundy shield of Philip the Fair and Charles V. The legend PACE ET IVSTITIA clearly expressed the States' claim. For the first time, the face value was inscribed on silver coins starting with the half crown, i.e. 16-S, 8-S, 4-S and 1-S. The écu of the States was in fact to circulate for 32 sous, at the same rate as the thalers of the empire, the écus of Burgundy and the lion dollars issued at a forced rate in 1575 by the States of Holland to finance military expenditure against the Spain. This issue from the States, however, was totally opposed to the royal monetary policy which aimed above all at the stability of the currency. The fine silver content of the States ecu (22.85 g) was 16% lower than that of the Burgundy ecu (26.24 g). The difference between this forced rate of 32 sols and the intrinsic value partially financed the war effort against the Spanish.)"

Brabant, originally part of the Burgundian inheritance, fell to the Hapsburgs on the death of the last duke of Burgundy in 1477. On the emperor Charles's abdication in 1555, the Hapsburg inheritance was divided between the Austrian and Spanish branches, and the Netherlands passed to Philip II, a dour and unbending Catholic. His attempts to extirpate heresy caused the northern provinces to rise in revolt and, after many years of struggle, secure their independence as the United Provinces. The southern provinces, including Brabant, remained Catholic and eventually returned to king Philip's rule. They joined the northern provinces in revolt 1578-80 and issued this écu des Etats in the process. The Spanish Hapsburgs ruled Brabant until 1700, fending off repeated attempts by the king of France to annex it. The province is now part of Belgium.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver; this specimen 30,41 g.

Catalog reference: Dav-8634, G.H. 245-2; Delm. 111; W. 763; VH 374.

Source:

Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1484-1600, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1977.
van Gelder, H. Enno, and Marcel Hoc, Les Monnaies des pays-Bas Bourguignons et Espagnols, 1434-1713, Amsterdam, J. Schulman, 1960, with supplement of 1964.
^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 158, Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.

Link to:

Brabant 1578(s) states daalder Dav-8639

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