European Gold of the 1800's

I love gold coins. There is just something about them that makes me excited and this is coming from someone who decided to live a middle class life style for it fits him better. My favorite gold coins were minted in Europe. I personally find the French gold of the 1800's to be the most appealing. But then again I also love the culture, the history and politics of that time, alot of nation and empire building going on then. But that is not this discussion. I wish to know if there are any Gold Sovereign lovers or Britannia gold coin fans out there. Are there forum members who favor the Dane's mermaid gold coins or the Belgium Kings, etc.....Maybe we can have a long thread on this, maybe not. Voice yourself or let your cords be slient but if the glitter of gold makes your eyes shine with glee why then not speak to me, thee.

 

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My most recent gold purchase was a Rooster. I like allegorical themes more than portraits. For me, the sovereign reverse is more compelling than the obverse. (I currently have no sovs, but, of course, have had in the past.) I consider the Swiss Vrenli an allegorical image, and I am also "out of stock" there as well, alas. The American Liberties in gold are nice, but not especially different from others, the Half Eagle $5 for many years carrying almost the same Lass as the Large Cent. The problem with European gold is that the obverses are plagued by heads of monarchs. Of all of them, I think that the young Wilhelmina is the most attractive. Vying for first place is young QEII. I see young Queen Elizabeth II as the modern instantiation of an ancient goddess. That is about as good as it gets.

I like the Mexican 20 Peso with the Aztec calendar.

 

You're telling me! There's something about shields though. Very regal.

This is what i like most about European coinage tons of monarchs in wigs. Nothing like it, it adds that regal edge that i like so much, the smell of 18th century absolutism, wonderful. Aristocrats a plenty. Particularly so with pre-Revolutionary French coinage. The golden period of France before the catastrophy of 1789.

Nothing comes close to the young head portrait of Queen Victoria she was a far more attractive woman than Elizabeth. The early strikes of the 1830s are the best because they are in higher relief than the later 1870s issues and you don't get the monotonous naked St. George design on the earlier issues.

 

Hey Michael, it seems like I have some support for my appreciation of Aunty Vicky when she was but a lass. ;-)

I have a limited `appreciation' of gold coinage, but do have a few from France, and 1870's Prussia, Italy, Sweden. Also have an early spanish two escudos a few Brit sov's and half sov's. Oh yes and a nice bullion Mexican 50 pesos. Now THAT is a nice modern hunk of gold!

To be honest, apart from the french stuff my gold bits and pieces are less of a collection than they are an accumulation. Must dispose of it as it holds no interest for me (numismatically) these days.

 

That's collections all round though Ian, constantly changing and evolving.

I'm moving into medieval gold coins, slowly.

 

Right now i'm being pulled in a number of directions interest wise. My problem is that I find it incredibly difficult to let go of the ones I already have. `Magpie - itis' is a cursed affliction.

I can readily equate to your being attracted to the mediaeval coinages. There are some really beautiful mediaeval european gold coins (and silver too). There are some really really beautiful ancient gold coinages, which tend to grab my attention a little bit more however.. The cost of it is, shall we say, `restrictive' and as such I think it places the interest field `over there' as far me and most other collectors are concerned. Of course it is do-able for anyone with sufficient intent, (and the ability to live constantly in debt? ) but for most people, collecting either ancient or mediaeval gold is more in the realm of `field of dreams' than reality.

I might just sell off my `surplus to requirements' (ie 1800's gold) and go for one or two ancients (or angels) with the proceeds.

Ian

 

I know what you mean. Medieval gold is very expensive and i'll be buying about 1 coin per year and no more. Debt... aye it can happen, it'll get me shortly. Gotta get a job and payback student loans so by the time i leave uni i will be in debt regardless of coin buying or not.

I find some of the medieval silver coins attractive but from Edward III-Henry VII the designs are rather mundane? Groats abnd their halves stay unchanged for centuries, the pennies downwards get smaller and cruder. The gold coinage of the period though does have nicer designs overall. Quarter Nobles are a more affordable area that i'll probably branch into.

My Early milled sixpences though still pull me in. Then there's some French stuff i'm thinking of looking into. I'll probably axe everything else bit by bit.

 

I have great difficulty getting into Brit mediaeval silver for the exact reasons you mention.
As Andy started this thread in relation to `gold' i'm trying to refrain from highjacking it and splintering it off into french silver (mediaeval) ....but there is some stuff in that field I think you would take a shine to (especially silver testons and francs). I'll dig out a few examples of what I mean and scan them for show in a different thread.

In the interim on the theme of `gold' here's a (creased) example of an ecu d'or au soleil of Francis I (1515 -47)

 

Yes i like that! Creasing and all...

How much we talking for one of those?

 

To be honest, I can't remember what I paid for that one and it was about four or five years ago. I can remember thinking at the time that I got a bit of a bargain (probably because the crease put other potential buyers off). Ii've seen them sell for $350 + and have also seen them sell for less (sometimes a lot less). In relation to what you might pay for modern gold, hammered gold coins from the reign of Francis I can be (to my mind) `affordable'.

I bought that one to compliment a portrait silver teston I have of him.

 

I'll have too keep my eyes open then, that kinda money sounds reasonable to me.

It'll complement my Henry VIII gold coin, when i get one.

 

Queens and the like on gold coins

I am Belgian and since Belgium does not have any females on gold coins made for circulation I am somewhat neutral
My liking is as follows on the european coins

1) Young Vicky shieldback ( really fantastic portrait )( sovereign )
2) Holland Wilhelmina with the long hair year 1897 ( 10 guilders )
3) The ex wife of Napoleon who ended up as the Duchess of Parma Marie Louise in French ( 40 Lire )
4) The suisse Vrenelli really is like an edelweiss boyscout girl ( 20 francs)

 

Nice choices.

I doubt if i'll ever have a 40 lire of parma, but I do have the silver 5 lire crown from there. It's a nice portrait of Marie Louise.

Similar with the young Wilhelmina. That type coin from the smallest denom. up is `difficult' (ie it's there but usually expensive to buy). Again, its a nice portrait coin. Almost as if it was captured using `soft focus'. Aunty Vicky appears quite harsh in comparison don't you think?

 

Dunno i find the Vicky ones nicer cos it's higher relief!

 

This Wilhemina is essentially a one year coin right before her coronation 454 000 struck in 10 Florin gold
I paid 80 euros for the copy I posted ( 67 gold value )

And yes the engraving artist rather suggests innocense
One year later she got her hair stuck up and that is a really expense coin
with only 99 000 struck and suddenly she looks austere ( 200 euro or more )


Vicky looks aggressive , affirmative, etc..

 

I know the Netherlands coinage through the silver, and I like the one year portrait of Wilhelmina the most. You aptly refer to it as suggesting innocence. That sums it up quite well. From a carefree Princess to a dutiful responsibility laden Monarch in the blink of an eye judging by the 1898 coinage. No doubt about it, the 1898 looks far more formal, yet still holds a youthful charm. It's almost as if the coin discourages you from looking at the portrait too closely.

Like Sylvester, I like the young Victoria portrait. Youthfull, yet `regal'. She carries it off well.

On a more numismatic note, I think William Wyon's engraving coupled with the quality of strike achieved on Vicky sov's gives them the edge over other comparable gold coins of the period. It's certainly one of the reasons (IMHO) why they are favourites with most people.

 

"The golden period of France before the catastrophy of 1789." Well Sylvester I believe a certain Dickens called that time, "the best of times...the worst of times" Which if said today in the United States would make Dickens one of those undecided folks over here
"My most recent gold purchase was a Rooster", mmarotta.
It is amazing how many people I have spoken to who have a rooster in their collection. I have two 20 franc ones myself but not a pre-1906 one yet.
"Young Vicky shieldback ( really fantastic portrait )( sovereign )
2) Holland Wilhelmina with the long hair year 1897 ( 10 guilders )", ageka.
Well ageka, you like myself tend to see coins for their true beauties.
"As Andy started this thread in relation to `gold' i'm trying to refrain from highjacking it and splintering it off into french silver (mediaeval) .." Ian.
Ian You have many words of wisdom, ("Talisker is king of the single malts"), so mixing silver with gold in a converstation is always alright with me. and
"In relation to what you might pay for modern gold, hammered gold coins from the reign of Francis I can be (to my mind) `affordable'." Thanks for the tip Ian.
GDJMSP, maybe you could treat us with another post of one of your favorite gold or silver European coins from the 1800's.

 

Ah Charles Dickens! Can't go wrong with Mr Dickens...

Best British writer ever.