France 1560-G 2 henri d'or
This specimen was lot 3063 in Künker sale 264 (Osnabrück, June 2015), where it sold for €8,500 (about US$10,980 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"KÖNIGREICH François II, 1559-1560. Double Henri d'or 1560, G, Poitiers. mit Titel von Henri II. Geharnischtes Brustbild r.//Vier gekrönte Monogramme "H" ins Kreuz gestellt, in den Winkeln je zwei Lilien und zwei Halbmonde, in der Mitte das Münzzeichen "G". GOLD. Von großer Seltenheit. Sehr schön-vorzüglich Exemplar der Auktion Van Peteghem, Paris 1885, Nr. 118. Mit altem Beschreibungskärtchen. (kingdom of France, Francis II, 1559-60, double henri d'or of 1560, Poitiers mint, in the name of Henry II. Armored bust to right; reverse: four crowned "H's" in the form of a cross, lilies and crescents in the fields, mintmark in the center. Very rare, very fine to extremely fine, with old envelope.)"
This type was struck for Henry II and his successors, Francis II and Charles IX. It had a face value of one hundred sols tournois or five livres tournois. It is the first type, with a bare head (not laureate) and lilies and crescents on the reverse.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 7.30 g, .958 fine gold, this specimen 5,60 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 1022 A; Fr-370, Sb-4974 (unlisted date).
- 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.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 264, Gold coins | Russian Coins and Medals | German Coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2015.
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