REVIEW: COINS AND HISTORICAL MEDALS: 24 JULY

The great rival to Louis XIV of France, Austria’s Arch Duke Leopold I (1658-1705), had the advantage of being elected Holy Roman Emperor, and ruled over Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia as king.

His reign was marked by wars against the Ottoman Empire and France, the latter culminating in the War of the Spanish Succession.

 

The leading lot in this auction proved to be a doppeltaler of Leopold I, showing the laureate and cuirassed bust right of the Holy Roman Emperor, surrounded by the legend leopoldvs d g rom imp se a g h b rex. The reverse shows the crowned eagle surrounded by archidvx avst dvx bv co tyro. In good very fine/about extremely fine condition and grey toned, it more than doubled its upper estimate of £600 to sell for £1,300.

A doppeltaler of Leopold V (1619-32), Archduke of Austria, which commemorates his marriage with Claudia de’ Medici [1626], shows the crowned and draped jugate busts right, surrounded by leopold ar d av e clavdia archidvcisa avstri medic. The reverse shows the crowned eagle with wreath above, and dvx bvrgvndiæ comes tirolis around. A small scratch in the obverse field is the only flaw in an otherwise about extremely fine and handsomely toned coin. With an estimate of £500-600, it took £950.

Chinese pieces also did well. A Five Brothers Imperial Examination AE Charm – a good luck token relating to the Imperial Examination system in China for selecting officials – led the way. Toned and good very fine, it left an estimate of £120-150 far behind to sell for £1,100.

An undated but (c. November 1853 - March 1854) 50 cash coin from the Qing reign of Xianfeng also did well. Struck at the Boo-Yuwan Board of Works mint in Beijing, it too was toned and very fine. Against a guide of £120-150, it took £900.