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France, Louis XVI, 10 May 1774 - 4 September 1791 A.D.
Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste, was the last King of France and Navarre before the French Revolution; during which he was also known as Louis Capet. In 1765, at the death of his father, Louis, Dauphin of France, son and heir apparent of Louis XV of France, Louis-Auguste became the new Dauphin. Upon his grandfather's death on 10 May 1774, he became King of France and Navarre, which he remained until 4 September 1791, when he received the title of King of the French until his suspension on 10 August 1792. Louis XVI was guillotined on 21 January 1793.
The Louis d'or (20 francs) under Louis XVI was minted between 1785 and 1792 and had a dimension of 23 mm, and a weight of 7.6490 g, a fineness of 0.917, and gold content of 0.2255 troy oz.WO111007. Silver Ecu, Duplessy 1708, Ciani 2187, Gadoury 356, SCWC KM 564.10, aEF, lustrous in recessed areas, light tone, flan adjustment marks on rev., light marks, weight 29.356 g, maximum diameter 41.4 mm, die axis 0o, Toulouse mint, 1789; obverse LUD•XVI•D•G•FR•ET•NAV•REX• (LVDOVICVS XIII DEI GRATIA FRANCIAE ET NAVARRAE REX - Louis XIII by the grace of God king of France and of Navarre), bust of Louis XVI left, wearing an embroidered military jacket with the order of the Holy Spirit, hair tied at the nape of the neck with a ribbon, tiny B. DUVIV. F (engraver Pierre-Benjamin Duvivier) on base of bust, small crown (privy mark) below; reverse SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTVM*1789• (May the name of the Lord be Blessed), crowned arms of France, crowned oval shield with three lis, surrounded by wreath of two oak wreath, M (mintmark) below; the luster is not well captured by the photograph, ex Karl Stephens (Temple City, CA); $540.00 SALE PRICE $486.00
Crusaders, County of Edessa, Richard of Salerno, Regent, Winter 1104 - 1108 A.D.
NEW Richard of Salerno fought in the First Crusade and was governor of the County of Edessa from 1104 to 1108. He was one of the many nephews of Robert Guiscard and Roger I of Sicily and participated with his famous uncles in the conquest of Sicily. In 1097, Richard joined his cousins, Bohemund of Taranto and Tancred, on the First Crusade. Richard and Tancred were among the few Crusaders who could speak Arabic, an ability doubtlessly learned during the wars in Sicily, which had a strong Arab presence. When Richard crossed the Adriatic, his ship was captured by the Byzantine fleet, who had mistaken him for a pirate. He was released and joined the Crusader army. Richard was a commander at the Battle of Dorylaeum and the siege of Antioch. He was captured by the Danishmends with Bohemund in 1100. Sent to the emperor Alexius, he was imprisoned in Constantinople until 1103. His cousin Tancred appointed him governor of Edessa in 1104, where he ruled until 1108, bitterly hated by the citizens for being ruthless and greedy. He participated in the disastrous campaigns Bohemund waged against the Alexius. After Bohemund's death in 1111, Richard retired to Marash, where he died in the great earthquake of 1114.CR111853. Bronze follis, Malloy Crusaders p. 242, 5; Schlumberger pl. II, 3; Porteous 4; Wäckerlin 163; Metcalf Crusades -, gF, green patina, light earthen deposits, scratches, overstruck, edge split, weight 5.451 g, maximum diameter 25.1 mm, Edessa (Urfa, Turkey) mint, obverse KE- / BOHΘ / PIKAP/ΔW (Greek: Lord, help Richard) in four lines; reverse large cross potent, globule at the end of each arm, wedges in angles; ex Leu Numismatik web auction 19 (26 Feb 2022), lot 3485; very rare; $400.00 SALE PRICE $360.00
France, Louis XV the Beloved, 1 September 1715 - 10 May 1774
Louis XV succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at five and reigned 58 years. Until he reached maturity, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, ruled as regent. Louis did not take sole control until his chief minister, Cardinal Fleury, died in 1743. He ceded New France in N. America to Spain and Great Britain at the conclusion of the disastrous Seven Years' War. He was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI who perished in the French Revolution. Two of his other grandsons, Louis XVIII and Charles X, occupied the throne after the fall of Napoleon I. Historians generally give his reign very low marks, as wars drained the treasury and set the stage for the French Revolution.WO111010. Silver Ecu, Duplessy 1680, Ciani 2122, Lafaurie 698, Gadoury 322, SCWC KM 512.12, gVF, iridescent toning on luster, scratches, flan adjustment marks; edge lettering: DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM (Lord, save the king), weight 29.190 g, maximum diameter 41.8 mm, die axis 180o, Bayonne mint, 1767; obverse LVD•XV•D•G•FR•ET•NAV•REX• (Louis XV, by the Grace of God, king of France and Navarre), young head of Louis XV left, hair tied with a ribbon, tiny JCR (engraver Joseph-Charles Röettiers) on edge of neck, two flowers with crossed stems between two pellets (privy mark) below; reverse •SIT•NOMEN•DOMIN•BENEDICTVM*1767• (May the name of the Lord be blessed), crowned arms of France, crowned oval shield with three lis, surrounded by wreath of two oak wreath, L (mint mark) below; $360.00 SALE PRICE $324.00
Italy, Campobasso, Nicolas I of Montforte, 1422
Robert of Anjou gave Campobasso as a fief to Richard de Montfort in 1326, to reward him for his loyalty. Nicolas I de Montfort was his descendant. Campobasso is the capital of the Molise region and of the province of Campobassoa in southern Italy; located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by the Sannio and Matese mountains. The main tourist attraction is the Castello Monforte, built by Nicolas II over Lombard or Norman ruins. The castle has Guelph merlons and stands on a commanding point, where traces of ancient settlements (including Samnite walls) have been found. The castle was rebuilt after the earthquakes in 1456 and 1805.ME98087. Billon tornese, Biaggi 538 (R5); CNI XVIII p. 234, 10; cf. MIR 10 369 (stops, Nicolas II), MEC Italy III 938 (same), VF, well centered, light corrosion, light deposits, tiny edge crack, weight 0.673 g, maximum diameter 16.7 mm, die axis 180o, Campobasso mint, 1422; obverse * NICOLOA CONI * (closed C's and unbarred A, rosette stops), Châtel tournois topped with a cross; reverse + • CAmPIbASSI • (closed C and unbarred A's, pellet stops), cross pattée; ex Nomisma SpA (San Marino) auction 31 (Mar 2006), lot 325; very rare; $240.00 SALE PRICE $216.00
France, Charles VII The Victorious, 1422 - 1461
Charles VII was born in 1403 as the eleventh child and fifth son of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. He was given the title of comte de Ponthieu at his birth. His four elder brothers all died childless, leaving Charles with a rich inheritance of titles. Due to the Treaty of Troyes, in which Charles VI signed for King Henry V of England as his legitimate successor to the throne of France, a new conflict with England was created. The succession was claimed both by the King of England and by the disinherited younger Charles.WO111003. Billon plaque (double gros), Duplessy 480, Ciani 657, Lafaurie 480, Roberts 2906, F, clashed dies, weight 2.966 g, maximum diameter 29.8 mm, die axis 135o, Tournai (Belgium) mint, 10 Dec 1427-7 Jan 1429; obverse (crown) KAROLVS•DEI•GRA•FRANCORV•REX (Charles, by the grace of God, King of the Franks), three lis, two above, one below center; reverse + SIT:NO-ME:NOM-INI:BEN-EDICTV (Blessed be the name of the Lord, dotted C), long cross pattée with F-R-A-C' in quarters; ex Gordon Andreas Singer; rare; $240.00 SALE PRICE $216.00
German States, Duchy of Bavaria, Bishopric of Regensburg, Henry X The Proud, 1126 - 1138 A.D.
Henry X the Proud was a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Bavaria (as Henry X) from 1126 to 1138 and Duke of Saxony (as Henry II) as well as Margrave of Tuscany and Duke of Spoleto from 1137 until his death. In 1138 he was a candidate for the election as King of the Romans but was defeated by Conrad of Hohenstaufen.ME91994. Silver dünnpfennig, Emmerig 68 var. (illuminated head slightly right), Bonhoff I 1979 var. (same), gVF, uneven double strike, weak areas, die wear, weight 0.939 g, maximum diameter 25.2 mm, die axis 270o, Bishopric of Regensburg, ducal mint, 1126 - 1138 A.D.; obverse Illuminated head facing; reverse Duke (on right) enthroned left, handing banner to knight standing left before him, knight taking banner with left hand, sword in right hand; ex Münzenhdl. Brom (Berlin); rare; $200.00 SALE PRICE $180.00
German States, Bishopric of Halberstadt, Gerno von Schembke, 1160 - 1177
The Diocese of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648. From 1180, the bishops or administrators of Halberstadt ruled a state within the Holy Roman Empire, the prince-bishopric of Halberstadt. The diocesan seat and secular capital was Halberstadt in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. Gerno von Schembke was the Bishop of Halberstadt from 1160 to 1177.ME92042. Silver bracteate, cf. Svensson 8.1, BBB I 15.17, Bonhoff I 483, Berger 1325, VF, well centered, toned, parts of legends weakly struck, weight 0.835 g, maximum diameter 25.7 mm, die axis 0o, Halberstadt mint, 1160 - 1177; obverse + S – STEPHANVS PROTOMARTI, bust of St. Stephen facing, nimbate, draped, three pellets left and star right; reverse incuse of obverse; ex Münzenhdl. Brom (Berlin); $200.00 SALE PRICE $180.00
Bulgars in Byzantine Bulgaria(?), Anonymous Follis of Christ, Imitative of Class A3, c. 1023 - 1040 A.D.
This imitative was most likely struck by an unofficial mint in unruly Byzantine Bulgaria. In 1018, the Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered the First Bulgarian Empire. The Bulgarian aristocracy were given Byzantine titles and moved to Asia. The existing tax system, laws, and the role of low-ranking nobility remained, at first, unchanged. As the Byzantine Empire declined under Basil's successors, Pecheneg invasions and rising taxes led to discontent and major uprisings. Bulgaria remained under Byzantine rule until the brothers Asen and Peter liberated the country in 1185, establishing the Second Bulgarian Empire.CR111244. Bronze anonymous follis, See Lampinen Imitative, p. 54, for a similar Class A imitative; prototype: Basil II & Constantine VIII, 1023-1028, SBCV 1818, aVF, green patina, light earthen deposits, off center, weight 7.969 g, maximum diameter 26.3 mm, die axis 0o, unofficial (Bulgarian?) mint, c. 1023 - 1040 A.D.; obverse facing nimbate bust of Christ, pallium and colobium, Gospels in both hands, no legend or inscription; reverse retrograde Greek inscription: + IhSuS / XRISTuS / bASILEu / bASILE (Greek: Jesus Christ King of Kings); ex Morton & Eden auction 119 (6 Dec 2022), lot 333 (part of); $200.00 SALE PRICE $180.00
Crusaders, Principality of Antioch, Tancred, Regent, March 1101 - May 1103 and Late 1104 - December 1112
Tancred, a Norman leader of the 1st Crusade, became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch when his uncle Bohemund was taken prisoner. He later took the County of Edessa when Baldwin II was captured, but Baldwin was released, defeated him and took it back. Tancred was made regent of Antioch again when Bohemund went to Europe to recruit more Crusaders. Tancred refused to honor a treaty in of fealty to the Byzantine Emperor, making Antioch independent, and ruled until his death in a typhoid epidemic.CR111245. Bronze follis, Metcalf Crusades pl. 5, 82; Malloy Crusaders p. 199, 5; Schlumberger pl. II, 8, gF, well centered, green patina, light earthen deposits, scratches, edge splits, overstruck, weight 2.921 g, maximum diameter 22.0 mm, die axis 180o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, Mar 1101 - Dec 1112; obverse facing bust of Christ, wears nimbus cruciger ornamented with one pellet in each limb of cross, pallium, and colobium, Gospels in both hands, IC-XC (Greek abbreviation: IHΣOUΣ XPIΣTOΣ - Jesus Christ) across field; reverse cross pommée, fleuronnée at base, TA-NK/P-H in quarters; ex Morton & Eden auction 119 (6 Dec 2022), lot 333 (part of); $200.00 SALE PRICE $180.00
Crusaders, Principality of Antioch, Roger of Salerno, Regent, 1112 - 1119
Roger of was regent of the Principality of Antioch from 1112 until his death on 28 June 1119. Roger became regent of Antioch when Tancred died. The prince, Bohemund II, was still a child. Like Tancred, Roger was almost constantly at war with the nearby Muslim states such as Aleppo. In 1114 an earthquake destroyed many of his fortifications but Roger took great care to rebuild them. The Artquids allied with Aleppo and invaded in 1119. Despite the urging of the Patriarch, Roger did not wait for reinforcements from Jerusalem or Tripoli. Roger and nearly all of his 700 knights and 3000 foot soldiers were killed. Artquids forces plundered the land but did not attack Antioch itself. Baldwin II of Jerusalem came north to take over the regency.CR111252. Bronze follis, Metcalf Crusades pl. 6, 97; Malloy Crusaders p. 201, 9; Schlumberger pl. II, 12, gF, well centered, heavy earthen deposits, weight 3.622 g, maximum diameter 22.4 mm, die axis 30o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, Roger's 3rd issue; obverse St. George riding on horseback right, nimbate, spearing dragon below, Θ upper left, ΓWI upper right; reverse POT3EP / ΠPIΓKΠ/OC ANT/OXI in four lines; ex Morton & Eden auction 119 (6 Dec 2022), lot 333 (part of); $200.00 SALE PRICE $180.00
Catalog current as of Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Page created in 1.937 seconds.