Here is my newest coin ... and for all the numismatic purest it is in a raw state, at least for now as it will be going to NGC shortly . I will admit it is nice holding the coin in hand though France-Aquitaine Salut d'or ND (1423) Design: OBVERSE: Two shields side by side, bearing the arms of France (left) and England (right). Behind the shields the Virgin Mary on the left, a nimbus around her head and her left hand pointing to a scroll, and the Angel Gabriel on the right, his wings arching above his head, his left hand pointing to the scroll, between them the word “AVE” written upwards on a scroll, surmounted by five sun’s rays. Legend: ♛hEHRICVS: DEI:GRA:FRACORV:Z:AGLIE:REX [Henry by the grace of God, King of France and England] ~ REVERSE: In the middle of the field is a cross calvary. Below is the letter, “h”. To the left is a fleur de lis and to the right a leopard. The whole is within a circle of ten arches with fleur de lis at the angles. Legend: ♛XPC✩VINCIT✩XPC✩REGHAT✩ XPC✩IMPERAT [Christ Overcomes, Christ Reigns, Christ Orders]. The obverse & reverse legends are punctuated by two superimposed beaded rings. Mint: Paris Mintage: Unknown References: Fr. 18 & 301 / Elias 264 /Dy.443 A / C.909 Specifications: Diameter – 26.0mm Weight – 3.480 g. @ 1.000 Gold = .112 oz AGW Notes: - King Henri VI was the King of England and France during this period, France was in an era of prosperity and economic development; at the same time experiencing an extreme enlightenment of arts, literature and science. - The crown in the legends denoted the mint as Paris. In my research the Paris mint is not as commonly found as those from the the Rouen (leopard) and Saint Lo (fleur-de-lis) mints. In total this type gold coin was minted at 9 different mints throughout France. - This coin is of the second issue of the salute under Henri VI. It was issued on September 6,1423. This type coin was produced in great quantities and is one of the most common of the Anglo-Gallic issues. - The coin has a wonderful mint lustre on both sides with a strong strike on a full planchet. The obverse showing a little weakness on Gabriel’s wings and the reverse showing a little doubling on the leopard and a weak strike on the arch at 4:00. - Note the weight in the above specifications ... this coin is 24K gold !!
Beautiful coin! All the more impressive that it has made it to now looking so good. 24kt gold is rather soft.
Wow. How this coin survived in such exquisite condition for almost 600 years completely boggles my mind. EVERYTHING about it screams perfection. Conrad, your collection is becoming legendary. Thanks for posting the photo (it is my new computer desktop) and please let us know how NGC grades it. PS - Gabriel was the name of my band back when I was 16.
Just a small correction on the notes. Henry VI was merely a pretender to the throne of France. In practice, the only french territory Henry VI reigned over consistantly was Calais. In the end, Henry VI was a weak king who became too preoccupied with the Civil War in England against the House of York to press home his claim to the whole of France effectively, and he ended up being murdered on the orders of the Yorkist usurper Edward IV after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. I also dispute the idea that France was enjoying a period of economic prosperity and advancement during this period, on account of the fact that English, French and Burgundian armies were rampaging through the place and leaving devestation in their wake. That aside, It is a nice coin, especially given the interesting times it was produced in....
Thanks Prestoninanus. I do own a couple numismatice reference books on the French Aquitanine period which is where I gleaned information for the first note. Numismatic reference works are not always the best source for political history nor are my notes meant to be a detail history lesson either, but your comment gives me thought for additional research. Thanks
Hi Silver, I saw your post on the Salut d'or Coin. I have one of these in a setting. Without getting into grading, how much do you think the valuation range is for these coins? Thanks for your help.
Actually, it was an English coin/ it was struck in English Occupied France. By 1422 it looked like the English Armies would eventually take all of the remaining sovereign French Territory/ and make it part of a Greater England. However, a young lady named Jeanne would upset that masterplan.
