Hi guys, I saw this piece offered online that has me puzzled. The coin has a date(1667), a fleur-de-lis, and a strange obverse and reverse legend. Yet I don't see any references to a country or monarch, as would be expected for the time period. I don't even know if this piece is a coin or if it is real. Though, for some reason I am enamored with the female portrait on the obverse. Weight is listed at 2 grams. Diameter is listed as 21 mm.
The female figure is Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans who was duchess of Montpensier from 1627-93. I believe that she issued good silver coinage which was much imitated and coined for some time after her death in several different regions, similar to the later thalers of maria theresa. I'm pretty sure @Cucumbor has posted about her before
Almost everything has already been said and well written. Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans was Princess of the Dombes principality. She was born to Marie de Montpensier and Gaston d'Orléans in 1627 CE. Her mother passed away soon after her birth, and her father ruled the principality as a regent until her majority. The family was of highest rank, Gaston being king Louis XIII's brother, hence Louis XIV'S uncle. When Anne Marie Louise issued her famous 5 sols silver coins, aka luigini, they soon became very popular in the Middle East countries, allegedly because they featured an advantadgeous female bust. Douzième d'écu, argent - 1664 Atelier de Trévoux AN . MA LOV PRINC . SOVV . DE . DOM Buste drapé de 3/4 à droite (Rose) DNS + ADIVTOR . A . ET . REDEM . MEVS Ecu d'Orléans couronné. Dans le champ, 16 | 64 2.22 gr Ref : Divo Dombes # 231, Boudeau # 1094 Many duchies, counties and principalities, especially in Italy followed the trend and flooded the market with copies of vatious quality and legends. The fact is that very quickly the silver content decreased, to the point where a royal edict lead to a withdrawal of all of them. Yours, as stated by @Kentucky is attributed to the city of Torriglia, near Genova, Italy (not Geneva, Switzerland ). Please note on the reverse, in the ecu, the three fleurs de lys replaced by heads of halberds (as they are decribed in the reference books, even though I don't think halberds look exactly like that. Anyway they aren't actual fleurs de lys) The reference book for those luigini is : Maurice CAMMARANO, CORPUS LUIGINORUM. Editions Le Louis d'Or à Monaco Q
