Well ya don't find these too often - and you certainly don't find them in this condition. I consider this a once in a lifetime find. You have seen me post pics of French coins before - but this one is special. This is the very first franc - known as the Franc à cheval. This coin was first struck in 1360 during the Hundred Years War between France & England. King John II ( John the Good ) of France was captured and held for ransom by the British. The first payment of this ransom was to be 3 million of these coins. They were struck specifically for this purpose. They got their name because the word franc at the time meant "free" and they were struck to free the French king. This particular example has been slabbed and graded by NGC as MS64. NGC considers it the finest example they have ever seen. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to have found it - let alone to be able to purchase it The legends read - obverse - IOhAnnES: DEI -:GRACIA: - FRAnCORV: REX Jean, by the grace of God, King of the Francs the reverse - XP' C * VINCIT * XP' C * REGnAT * XP' C * IMPERAT Christ overcomes, Christ reigns, Christ orders The coin - obverse The reverse -
Very nice. So, is that Jean II on the horse? Was the ransom paid and was he released? Did the English melt most of them down and recoin? Were all of them sent to England, or did some remain in France?
Yes the ransom was paid and he was released. But after a bit of further research I have found that this first installment of the agreed upon ransom was but 600,000 gold ecu's with an additional 400,000 to be paid each year. In 1364 John was no longer able to make the required payment and was returned to captivity. He died in April the following year in captivity. All of the ransom payments were sent to England and undoubtably a large portion of them were melted and or restruck as they were struck in pure gold. This particular coin was struck for only a few years. John II's son, the Dauphin, Charles V, also struck a similar coin with his own image being used until 1365.
Not just another pretty face, that's for sure! Attribution of something like this must have been a real challenge, even for NGC. It is amazing that the coin survived for so long.
Wow! That is a gorgeous coin! It especially interests me because I have always been interested in European history. I saw a Henry VIII groat the other day that I would have loved to purchase-but my husband wouldn't let me since I wouldn't have wanted to sell it.
The crumpled one is the `before'........It was a metal detector find in a ploughed field in the south of England. It was straightened out (`curated' as it were) by a jeweller. Auctioned by Spinks (London) recently.
It is amazing what could be found in the fields of England. All I ever find in my backyard is fossilized seashells and coral. Wish I saw this thread when it first started. Wow.
For the second time this vendor tries to sell a coin of Jean Le Bon at 300 euros A pity the coins is torn http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=17391&item=3939327829&rd=1
Ah GD i meet that coin again. I did point you to another one of those a few months before you bought that one remember?
