Spain (1497-1504)-Seg X P 10 excelentes Fr-123

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Jean Elsen sale 161, lot 1165
JE161-1165r.jpg

This specimen was lot 1165 in Jean Elsen sale 161 (Brussels, March 2025), where it sold for €310,000 (about US$403,620 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"ESPAGNE, Royaume, Ferdinand et Isabelle (1474-1504), AV 10 excelentes, s.d. (à partir de 1497), Ségovie (aqueduc). Essayeur P. D/ + FERNANDVS: ET: ELISABET: D: G: REX: ET: REGINA: CASTEL B. affrontés des rois catholiques. En bas, la valeur X. En haut, aqueduc. À d., P. R/ :SVB: VNBRA: ALARVM: PROTEGET: NOS: DEV Aigle éployée portant l'écu royal. A été monté. Coups sur la tranche et au droit, avec léger graffiti dans le champ. Unique et inédit. (kingdom of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, 1474-1504, undated gold ten excelentes, struck after 1497, Segovia mint, aqueduct mintmark, assayer P. Obverse: the busts of the Catholic Kings facing, 'X' below, aqueduct above, 'P' to right; reverse: eagle displayed supporting the royal arm. Has been mounted, edge nicks on the obverse with graffiti in the field. Unique and unpublished, Very Fine.)

Les couronnes de Castille et d'Aragon furent réunies par le mariage de Ferdinand et Isabelle. C'est sous leur règne que l'unification du système monétaire du pays fut décidée par la Pragmatique de Medina del Campo, en date du 13 juin 1497. La nouvelle monnaie d'or, l'excelente de la granada, avait une valeur assez proche de celle du ducat d'Aragon (3,50 g à 23 carats 3/4 de fin). Au droit figure le couple royal, au revers les armes du royaume unifié protégées par un aigle. Le double excelente connut une émission massive dans les différents ateliers du royaume et connut un grand succès. Des multiples de 4, 10, 20 et même 50 excelentes furent aussi frappés, la plupart sont rarissimes. Le multiple de 10 excelentes n'était jusqu'à présent connu que par deux exemplaires de l'atelier de Ségovie. Le seul autre exemplaire apparu en vente, de coins différents et avec la marque d'essayeur F, est celui de la collection Huntington (vente Vico 130, Madrid, 26 juin 2012, 438, adjugé 450.000 €). Notre exemplaire porte la marque d'essayeur P, dont on connaît aussi le quadruple excelente (A.C. 769). (The crowns of Castile and Aragon were united by the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. It was during their reign that the unification of the country's monetary system was decreed by the Pragmatica of Medina del Campo, dated June 13, 1497. The new gold coin, the excelente de la granada, had a value quite close to that of the ducat of Aragon (3.50 g at 23 3/4 carats fine). On the obverse is the royal couple, on the reverse the arms of the unified kingdom protected by an eagle. The double excelente was widely issued in the various mints of the kingdom and was very successful. Multiples of 4, 10, 20 and even 50 excelentes were also struck, most of which are extremely rare. The multiple of 10 excelentes was until now known from only two examples from the mint of Segovia. The only other example to appear at auction, with different dies and assayer's mark F, is that of the Huntington collection (Vico 130 sale, Madrid, June 26, 2012, 438, sold for €450,000). Our example bears assayer's mark P, from which the quadruple excelente (A.C. 769) is also known)

Provient de la collection du vicomte Charles Vilain XIIII (1803-1878), membre du Congrès national en 1830-1831, ministre des Affaires étrangères de Léopold Ier en 1855-1857 et président de la Chambre des Représentants en 1870-1871. (From the collection of Viscount Charles Vilain XIIII (1803-1878), member of the National Congress in 1830-1831, Minister of Foreign Affairs under Leopold I in 1855-1857, and President of the Chamber of Representatives in 1870-1871.)"

This was issued as part of a coinage reform of 1497. The double excelente (Fr-127 thru Fr-132) is the most common seen but four, ten, twenty and fifty excelentes were also struck, likely for presentation. This is listed in Numisma as a ten ducats.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 35 g, 0.990 fine gold, 43 mm diameter, this specimen 34,94 g.

Catalog reference: Cayón-2962 (unlisted assayer), A.C. 778-779 var. (two known); Fr-123.

Source:

  • Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 1, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
  • Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
  • 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 161, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2025.

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