I have been thinking about writing a couple of blog posts about pre-Christian coinage for a long time, and I have been putting it off for a long time. We are certainly facing the most complex and difficult topic to write about Basque coinage. There are more doubts than certainties about this topic, and about the ethnic groups and inhabitants of the territories that minted these coins. And the origin and […]
Ancient Aquitanian Coinage Read More »
Last week, we watched the Argentine film “Nueve Reinas” at home with our children. In this film, they tell the story of nine extraordinary stamps from the Weimar Republic. I was wondering, does Basque coinage have its own nine queens? Yes, sir, but in this case, we should call them nine kings! The name of the Dutch sculptor and engraver Jean Warin is famous and honored.
The Last Nine Issues of Donapaleu Read More »
I have had a break of a couple of months before writing a new entry for this blog. During this break we have moved house. We have been working on building a little house for a long time, intending to move closer to the Munitx area, and finally the time has come to live in it. For those who have the image of us in the Basque Country being clumsy and messy and Germany being a country of efficiency, I would be happy to share my anecdotes…but that
Basque Government Pezeta Issues – Presses, Steamers and Commissions Read More »
In the first section, we examined the division of the kingdom caused by the invasion and conquest of Ferdinand the Forger and how both in the North, the Labrit family and their Bourbon descendants, and in the South, the Trastamara family and their Austrian descendants, attempted to reinforce the message of legitimacy of power through the coins they minted. The Peace Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) had another unexpected consequence, the daughter of Louis XIV and Philip IV
The Reflection of the Navarrese Problem in Coinage – Part 2 Read More »
It should already be known that the King of Aragon, called Ferdinand the Catholic, attacked and conquered the Kingdom of Navarre in July 1512. The attack was carried out with troops from the Kingdom of Castile, although we should call Ferdinand the usurper, since he was also the viceroy of his daughter Queen Juana in the Kingdom of Castile. Initially, Ferdinand forged a papal bull to justify his attack.
The Reflection of the Navarrese Problem in Coinage – Part 1 Read More »
Reign: Louis II. King of Navarre, Louis XIII. King of France Type: Silver Quarter Shield Year: 1620 Mint: Donapaleu Mint Edge: Irregular Edge Engraving: ————– Metal: Silver, fineness of 917 thousandths or 11 ducats Diameter: 29 mm Weight: This piece weighs 9.43 gr Quantity: Unknown In 1620, 50,707 pieces were minted in 1619. Mintage: By hammer Mintmaster: Jean Pierre
Louis II – The Last Sovereign Quarter Shields Read More »
Reign: Charles VII. King of Navarre, Charles IV. King of Spain Type: Marabedia Year: 1789 Mint: Pamplona Mint Edge: Irregular, octagonal coin budin or cospel Edge Engraving: ————– Metal: copper Diameter: 19 mm Weight: This piece weighs 2.71 gr, nominally about 3.04 gr Quantity: Unknown, the courts of 1781 ordered the minting of 12,000 ducats, 4,704,000 marabedia pieces Mintage: By hammer Head of the Mint:
The only maravedi of Charles VII – The Last Hammer Dance Read More »
Among the objects presented by the Basque Museum of Bayonne are five standard weights from this city. These weights were placed in the town hall in 1788 with the intention of being used as standard weights. They have a cylindrical shape and are pierced at the top by a hole through which a movable ring can be placed. The faces of the cylinder depict the image of the coat of arms of the city of Bayonne. Weights kept in the Basque Museum of Bayonne
Weight and Law of Basque Coins Read More »
In the 1640s, a new coinage reform took place in the Kingdom of France. As part of this reform, new types of coins were created, with new weights and values. But in addition, the hammered coinage was banned and the coinage by the flywheel press, promoted by Jean Varin (or Warin), was made mandatory throughout the kingdom. The aim, once again, was to improve the quality of the coins and, as a result,
A look at the Bayonne Mint – Part 2, Presses at work Read More »
The most prolific and prosperous mint in the current Basque territories was the mint of Bayonne. During the 16th and 17th centuries, while the importance and richness of the coinage of the Kingdom of Navarre declined (both in Upper Navarre and Lower Navarre), Bayonne became one of the most important mints in France. However, since the coins of Bayonne were minted under the authority and in the name of the French kings, the Navarrese mint
A look at the Bayonne Mint – Part 1, Hammer by hammer Read More »
