Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Great Britain
Henry V (1413-22) gold Noble ND, S-1742, North-1371 MS63 NGC (Class C: mullet by sword arm, broken annulet on ship's side), Cross Pattee mm, lustrous and especially choice for a noble of this reign, the flan round with only a minute crack at 9 o'clock obverse, creased diagonally, the strike unusually sharp and even, the only softness on a few letters of the reverse legend, the obverse portrait of the king in his ship crisply detailed, including his small face and his royal shield, the reverse equally pleasing with clear legends (except as noted) and the central cruciform shield really sharp, even on the king's initial at center, with pleasing yellow gold toning. Not rare as a type but historic and one of the finest examples this cataloguer has encountered. Fortunately for today's collectors, most of the gold Nobles of this reign are abundant enough, although most seem to be in the VF-EF range in terms of preservation. The dies were essentially copies of those used for his father's coins, being different and identifiable primarily through the privy marks, which were normally a mullet (5-pointed star), broken annulet, or trefoil. We see two of these on the presently offered coin. As well, though subtle, the small portrait of the king has changed to be slightly more realistic; this is a hallmark of design change of the Renaissance, which had its earliest days in England at the beginning of the 15th century. All of the gold coins of this reign were struck at London. The mint at Calais was not reopened until the final weeks of this reign, and it produced no coins for Henry V, who had reconquered "his" land in France at the decisive battle at Agincourt, in northwestern France, on October 25, 1415. Henry's small army, exhausted from its march from Harfleur, was attacked by a seemingly overwhelming French army, but Henry's famous provocation of bravery in his knights on the morning of the battle, and most importantly his longbowmen, delivered a crushing defeat to the French, including the deaths of numerous nobles. The English longbows decimated the attacking French: their arrows reached far beyond what the Italian crossbowmen on the French side could accomplish. French mounted knights fell into the thick mud of a recent storm and suffocated. But, above all, Henry's own fierce bravery inspired his men. It is believed that Henry's army lost only 200 casualties and additional wounded, while the French suffered loss of a reputed 25,000 soldiers and knights. On May 21, 1420, Henry and the French king signed the Treaty of Troyes -- recognizing Henry V as heir to the French throne -- and as soon as possible the old mint at Calais was put to use, but not in time to issue any coins in the name of Henry V. Agincourt was one of the great battles of history, and its outcome grudgingly gave sovereignty in France to the English king. Centuries of hostility between the two kingdoms would not alter what Henry V achieved on the farm fields of France.
Estimate: 3500-4500 USD
Henry V (1413-22) gold Noble ND, S-1742, North-1371 MS63 NGC (Class C: mullet by sword arm, broken annulet on ship's side), Cross Pattee mm, lustrous and especially choice for a noble of this reign, the flan round with only a minute crack at 9 o'clock obverse, creased diagonally, the strike unusually sharp and even, the only softness on a few letters of the reverse legend, the obverse portrait of the king in his ship crisply detailed, including his small face and his royal shield, the reverse equally pleasing with clear legends (except as noted) and the central cruciform shield really sharp, even on the king's initial at center, with pleasing yellow gold toning. Not rare as a type but historic and one of the finest examples this cataloguer has encountered. Fortunately for today's collectors, most of the gold Nobles of this reign are abundant enough, although most seem to be in the VF-EF range in terms of preservation. The dies were essentially copies of those used for his father's coins, being different and identifiable primarily through the privy marks, which were normally a mullet (5-pointed star), broken annulet, or trefoil. We see two of these on the presently offered coin. As well, though subtle, the small portrait of the king has changed to be slightly more realistic; this is a hallmark of design change of the Renaissance, which had its earliest days in England at the beginning of the 15th century. All of the gold coins of this reign were struck at London. The mint at Calais was not reopened until the final weeks of this reign, and it produced no coins for Henry V, who had reconquered "his" land in France at the decisive battle at Agincourt, in northwestern France, on October 25, 1415. Henry's small army, exhausted from its march from Harfleur, was attacked by a seemingly overwhelming French army, but Henry's famous provocation of bravery in his knights on the morning of the battle, and most importantly his longbowmen, delivered a crushing defeat to the French, including the deaths of numerous nobles. The English longbows decimated the attacking French: their arrows reached far beyond what the Italian crossbowmen on the French side could accomplish. French mounted knights fell into the thick mud of a recent storm and suffocated. But, above all, Henry's own fierce bravery inspired his men. It is believed that Henry's army lost only 200 casualties and additional wounded, while the French suffered loss of a reputed 25,000 soldiers and knights. On May 21, 1420, Henry and the French king signed the Treaty of Troyes -- recognizing Henry V as heir to the French throne -- and as soon as possible the old mint at Calais was put to use, but not in time to issue any coins in the name of Henry V. Agincourt was one of the great battles of history, and its outcome grudgingly gave sovereignty in France to the English king. Centuries of hostility between the two kingdoms would not alter what Henry V achieved on the farm fields of France.
Estimate: 3500-4500 USD