Code: 12891
This is a medieval gold Salut d'Or of King Henry VI, issued at the Le Mans mint between 1423 - 1435 AD. This coin was one of the last of the English coins minted during the final years of the Hundred Years' War.
Obverse: Archangel Gabriel (on the right) standing to the left, wings half spread, facing the Virgin Mary (on the left) standing to the right, whom he visits and greets by handing her a parchment bearing the inscription "AVE"; the figures are seen half-length and placed behind the accosted shields of France and France-England; above, a blessing hand with Lombardic legend reading: HENRICVS : DEI : GRA : FRACORV : Ƶ : AGLIE : REX "Henry, by the grace of God King of the French and of England"
Reverse: Plain Latin cross accosted by a lily and a leopard, under which is a H oncial, all in a fleur-de-lis decalobe. XPC ★ VINCIT ★ XPC ★ REGNAT ★ XPC ★ IMPERAT "Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands"
EF, scuffed, wavy, a single small edge mark, lustrous. Rare.
It is essential to note that Henry VI's reign in England lasted until 1461, although he was expelled from France in 1453. In addition, he did not directly control all the mints. Indeed, those of Amiens, Arras, Auxerre, Dijon, Mâcon, Nevers, and Saint-Quentin were, in reality, in the hands of his ally, the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Bon (1419-1467). Also, when the latter reconciled with the King of France Charles VII after the Treaty of Arras signed on September 11, 1435, all his mints immediately stopped minting coins in the name of Henry VI! Subsequently, the cities are taken over one by one and with them their monetary mints: Le Mans in 1448, then in 1449 Saint-Lô and finally Rouen which remains the last to mint coins for Henry VI until October 29 of this year.
DENOMINATION: Salut d'Or.
CULTURE: Medieval France
MONARCH: Henry VI
DATE: 1422 - 1461 AD (this coin struck from 1422 - 1435 AD)
MATERIAL: Gold
SIZE: 27mm diameter
WEIGHT: 3.48 grams
ATTRIBUTION: Beresford-Jones 620/625; Elias 269; Duplessy 443A; Spink 8164; Elias 269; Withers 384
PROVENANCE: Ex. Bermondsey Coins, London
