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1640 countermark on a 1593 [Avignon Mint] Papal Douzain of Clement VIII, Berman 1514, no letters in

Currency:CAD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:40.00 CAD Estimated At:100.00 - 150.00 CAD
1640 countermark on a 1593 [Avignon Mint] Papal Douzain of Clement VIII, Berman 1514, no letters in

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Host Coin of Clement VIII, Struck at Avignon, Vlack 1m Type - 1640 countermark on a 1593 [Avignon Mint] Papal Douzain of Clement VIII, Berman 1514, no letters in obverse shield, roses and lions on reverse. Fine to Very Fine, struck on the typically small and clipped planchet, which cuts off some of the legends at left, though over half are visible on the obverse and more than that on the reverse, including the date; the countermark was applied at the lower obverse. A fascinating issue as a host coin for the 1640 countermarks, these were not struck by a French king but rather by Pope Clement VIII (for those of you who love coffee, it should be noted that although his advisors wanted him to denounce that beverage, upon tasting it he declared “this Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it”). The papal douzains were roughly the same size and billon content of the French douzains and would thus have circulated side-by-side, at least in the Catholic areas. This type features an A (for Avignon) at either side of a papal shield with crossed keys on the obverse, very similar in style to the contemporary Henri IV coinage which often had an H in those positions and a shield usually with fleur-de-lys. While the Avignon douzains are not especially rare as host coinages for 1640 countermarks (Vlack rated them as Rarity-6), they are quite difficult to find with a date – the present collection is the largest offering of dated pieces to ever appear at auction, missing just a single date in the 1593-1601 range!