Ian,as I know you like collecting French coins,but do you have any from the various states that are now part of France such as Dombes & Chateau Renaud? Well,I have got a Dombes Double Tournois,which I found a couple of years ago in a dealer's 'junk' box.It is dated 1640.I thought that it was issued by one of the French Kings named Louis or Henri.So I read the legend & was surprised to see the name 'Gaston',so I decided to look it up in the Krause 17th Century catalogue,& lo & behold,it was (& is) not listed.The reverse of the coin is similar in design to the usual French ones that turn up,but it is distinctive in the respect that it has a 3-pronged mark above the 3 Fleur-de-Lys.The coin in question is one issued by Gaston de Orleans (reigned 1627-50).Does anyone know what title he had?
Gaston de Dombes (aka Gaston de France) was Louis XIII's one and only brother and therefore LouisXIV's one and only uncle. I have a couple of silver jetons declaring same. One dated 1624 during Louis XIII's reign. The other dated 1645 at the start of Louis XIV's reign. I have a fair number of coins and jetons from such wondrous entities as Nevers et Rethel, Bouillon et Sedan, Chateau Renaud, Orange, Dombes, Colmar, Metz, Boisbelle et Henrichemont, Lorraine (this time mainly silver from deniers to testons), Strasbourgv (silver mainly) and Besancon (a couple of thalers). I also have one from Verdun, and a couple of double tournois from Avignon when it was a Papal city state. Ian
