Burgundian (and Neighboring)
Feudal Coinage
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Counts of Anjou
Fulk III Nerra (987-1040) or Geoffrey II Martel
(1040-60) (Best guess)
Fulk IV-V (1069-1129) (Possibly)
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The coin: Billon denier, 19mm. Obv: COMES FVLCO, central cross. Rev: +VRBS ANDEGAV, central monogram. Mint in Anjou. R4112.-4114v. ID via Roberts is difficult. The obverse monogram is 4112, note the 'k' on the lower right of the monogram and the 'S' in COMES in the legend, whiich is closer to 4112 than 4114. Also note the visible 'alpha' in one of the quadrants of the obverse cross. The obverse is close to Fulk III Nerra. On the other hand, the reverse legend matches 4113 (Geoffrey II). Boud 152v as argent and Fulk IV (1060-1109).
Archbishops of Besancon
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Coin: Billon denier, 17mm. Obv: S.STEP+HANVS, central hand with two fingers extended. Rev: +CRISTOPOLVS, central cross. Mint: Archbishops of Besancon, mid 11th C (during the reign of Hugues II of Bresancon 1064-85?). R4751, Boud 1273, 74
Coin: AR denier, 18mm. Obv: +RIL DVNIS CATO, wool comb, o+o above. Rev: +SEEI:OMS:CIVIA, cross in circle of dots, alpha and omega and two besants per quadrant. Mint is Sens. It is interesting to note that the 'comb' on the obverse here moved to the reverse on subsequent coins from Provins. R4097 or 4724 (the difference is not clearly matched to the coin); Boud 1754.
Thibaut II The Great (1125-52)
Provins and Sens
Count of Champagne
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Coin: AR denier, 20 mm. Obv: +TEBALT COMES,
central cross, opposing besants in quadrants 1 and 3, other symbols in
quadrants 2 and 4. Rev: CASTRI PRVVINS, central line indicating a field
over a comb. Provins is just outside the Burgundian sphere of influence,
in Champagne. The field (champ) and comb (peigne) is a visual pun on the
name of the region. R4726, Boudeau 1759, not in Bel.
Life: He was son of Stephen (of Blois)
and Adela. He married Matilda of Carinthia and they had seven children.
Two of his sons married daughters of Louis
VII (Henry and Thibaud V) while a daughter, Mary, married Hugh III
(next coin) of Burgundy. This established alliances with the major houses
on his borders. He was succeeded first by Henry and then by another son,
Thibaud V.
Times: When Thibaut inherited Troyes and
Meaux he decided to move there from the family home in Blois. This was
in part because the territory was also coveted by Louis
VI, and Thibaut felt it was necessary to be on site to protect his
interests. The domains were a hodgepodge of lands held in fief of the king,
duc of Burgundy and the HRE. His reign was characterized by administrative
efficiency and successful use of the rights of coinage. He and his heirs
benefitted from the famous Champagne fairs that brought prosperity to this
part of France. Thibaut offered homage to Eudes II of Burgundy (father
of Hugh III) in a way that recognized overlordship but did not owe any
real duties like military support. From Burgundy's point of view, this
preserved their claim to Troyes. Source: Dunbabin 308, 312-5
Henri I (and II)
1152-80(97) Provins
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Billon denier, 19mm. Obv: + HENRI COMES, central cross with diagonal arrow, symbols in opposing quadrants. Rev: CASTRI PRVVINS, central comb under symbols. R4727 as Henri I or II, but obverse symbol is closer to R4726. Seller says Boud 1760 but while central obverse sysmbol matches, obv. text does not.
Hugh III, Duc of Burgundy
(1162-1193)
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Coin: Denier, 17mm. Obv: +VGO DVX BVRG:
DEI, central cross with rounded ends, one visible besant. Rev: +DIVIONENSIS,
central cross. R4521v (R's reverse does not have a pellet, as does this
coin and shows four besants on the reverse, not evident on this coin -
closer to H III than HIV). Not in Boudeau, Bel.
Life and times: The 12th century was a
time of relative prosperity for Burgundy, supported by the growth of the
wine trade. The ducs of Burgundy "kept a low profile on the international
scene" but established alliances with the HRE via two marriages. Hugh III
married first Alix of Lorraine and second Beatrice of Albon (Viennois).
The serious conflict that emerged was over competition for alliances along
the Burgundian border with Royal French territory. This conflict was first
with Louis VII and by 1180 Philip
Augustus, his successor, triggered a war over the sphere of control
between the two. The duchy came to be centered at Dijon and prospered in
spite of its westward containment by Philip Augustus. Hugh generally enjoyed
good relations with churchmen, alleviating a source of tension common in
other parts of France over this century. Hugh died on crusade in 1192.
Hugh III's lineage goes back to Hugh Capet.
Source: Dunbabin 305-310.
Counts of Gui, Never, Guy
I 1168-75
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Coin: Billon denier, 19mm. Obv: COMES GUIDONI,
central star and crescent (not visible on this coin). Rev: NIVERNIS CIVIT,
central short cross. Description from R. Lilly "The coin is centered, and
has a grayish-silver color, but it is crudely struck, with weakness in
the legends and the images. The crescent, star and staff are actually a
degeneration from the word "rEX" in the center of the reverse on earlier
coins of Nevers." R4166, Boud 342.
City: From Lilly: "This city, at the confluence
of the Loire and Nievre rivers in central France, was named Nevirnum in
late Roman times, and the legend on the obverse of the coin refers to the
city by a form of that latin name. In January, 1170, during the period
when this type of coin was minted, the Pope commissioned the Bishop of
Nevers and the Archbishop of Rouen to attempt to reconcile the differences
between Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, and King Henry II of
England. They failed in that endeavor, and Thomas was murdered in December
of that year."
Hugh IV of Burgundy (1218-72)?
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Coin: BL Denier, 17mm. Obv: +VGO BVRGONDIE,
central cross with diagonal staff topped by three pellets on each side.
Rev: AVSONIENSIS, central Anille. Seller (Mather) id'd as Hugh IV but not
clearly in North. See North 4522+ for similar types, Boudeau 1214 as Hugh
V, Bel 429 as H IV.
Life: Hugh was born March 9, 1212. His
father was Eudes III of Burgundy and mother was Alice de Vergy. He was
a grandson of Hugh III of Burgundy. He married (1229) first Yolande de
Dreux (1212 - 48) and second Beatrice de Navarra (1242-1295). He had ten
children and was succeeded by his son Robert II (1249 - 1305). Hugh died
October 27, 1272 at Villaines en Duismois. Source: various on line geneologies.
Auxerre (10th - 12th C)
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Coin: BL denier, 21 mm. Obv: AVTSIODER
CI, central cross. Rev: no inscription, inner circle with cross. R4451,
Boudeau 1730 (under Champagne), Bel 407.
Times: Auxerre was part of the old duchy
of Burgundy, going back to Richard the Justiciar. By the 11th C the duchy
had shrunk considerably and Auxerre and surrounding areas looked to the
king for protection rather than the duc. Auxerre came under bishopric control.
By the 12th C proximity to Burgundy became important to Auxerre, as its
military support was closer than royal support. Auxerre was one of several
12th C episcopal sees in the area of Nevers and Champagne (along with Sens
and Troyes). My sense is that Auxerre remained under church control until
the general consolidation of such territories into royal domains, starting
with Louis VII and Philip
Augustus. Source: Dunbabin 180-1, 368.
Hugh V, Duc of Burgundy
(1305-15)
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Coin: Bl denier,
17mm. Obv: +VGO DVX BVRG: DIE, quarter anchor cross. Rev: +DIVIONENSIS,
central cross. R4534, Boud 1211.
Life: He is the son of Robert II of Bourgogne,
duc of Burgundy (~1245 - 9/10/1305) and Agnes Princess of France (1260
- 1327), youngest daughter of Louis IX and Marguerite Berenger, born in
Paris, died at Abbeye de Citeaux. His parents had 9 children and Hugues
was the second son (his older brother died 1283). Hugues was born 1282
in Of and died 9 May 1315 in Argilly. He married Catherine de Valois (born
1275) on 24/3/1302. Sources: various online geneologies, including Benjamin.
County of Melgueil, Lanquedoc
(11th - 13th C)
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Coin: BL denier, 17mm. Obv: illegible inscription, distinctive central design. Rev: illegible, four circles with central besant. This is in Provence, which was at times part of Burgundy, or close to its borders. R4336, Boudeau 754 (which describes it with "legendes barbares"), Bel 928.
Archbishops of Vienne (12th - 14th C)
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Coin: Denier, 16mm. Obv: S.M.VIENNA, central
portrait left. Rev: MAXIMA GALL, central cross with pellets. R5045, although
his reverse does not show pellets. Boudeau 1045, Bel 980.
Times: "Charlemagne ... had established
uniformity of coinage and had caused the right of coining to be acknowledged
as exclusively belonging to the sovereign; but his weaker successors were
gradually compelled to yield this, as well as most of the other royal prerogatives,
to the feudatory lords, whose power continued to increase as that of the
paramount government weakened. Among these feudatories were not only
all archbishops and bishops but also the leading abbots and abbesses within
the empire. ... French coinage ... in the tenth century, (particularly)
coinages of lay and ecclesiastical barons (the archbishops of Vienne, Arles,
Reims, etc. in particular), (is) characterized by a fixed type (type immobilisé)
which is maintained unaltered for a long period." It would remain unaltered
since unlike ducal rulers who changed coinage styles and portraits with
changes in reign, ecclesiastical coinage was often place centered rather
than person centered. Source: online Catholic
Encyclopedia - Numismatics
Bishops of Valence (12th-13th
C)
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Coin: BL denier, 18mm. Obv: VRBS VALENTIAI,
stylized angel. Rev: S APOLLINARS, cross pommetee cantonnee d'un annelet.
Boudeau 1021, Bel 965, R4782 (but R does not show the besant). Second coin
more clearly R4782.
Times: See Archbishops of Vienne above.
Abbots of Souvigny,
11 - 13C
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Coin: AR denier, 19 mm. Obv: MAIOLVS...SES,
facing bust of St, Maiolus holding crosier. Rev: SILVINIACA(?), central
cross. R 4916.
Times: See Archbishops of Vienne above.
Amedeus VIII of Savoy
(1416-40)
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Coin: AR quarto, 18mm. Obv: AMEDEVS DVX
SAB, central word FERT between two lines. Rev: IN ITALIA MARCHIO, central
cross in diamond. Mint: Savoy. N9706, Boud 1132.
Life and times: He had a remarkably successful
life and knew when to voluntarily step off the stage. Over a 33 year reign
he held significant territory covering parts of the county of Burgundy,
Savoy, lands into Italy, down to Provence and extending into the the realm
of the Swiss confederation. He was a statesman, not a soldier, hence he
was careful about choosing reasonable goals and accepting limitations on
his power (for example, while he acquired the county of Genevois, he did
not push to control the city of Geneva, which sought to remain independent).
He was a Renaissaince prince and an effective lawmaker, author of the Statuta
Sabaudiac. Cope notes "It was his remarkable achievement that for fifty
years Savoy was sheltered from the wars that and civil strife that convulsed
most of Europe." Amedeus abdicated to live the life of a monk, was called
out of that retirement to serve the church (becomong Pope Felix V) and
abdicated the papacy in 1449. He died in 1451, just before the end of the
100 Year's War. He married Mary of Burgundy and was succeeded by his son
Louis I. Source: Cope 154-156.
Strasbourg, Alsace
(15th - 16th C)
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Coin: AR kreuzer (two deniers), 16mm. Obv:
GLA IN EXCELS DO, central lis. Rev: MONETA ARGENS, central lis. R9070,
Boudeau 1335.