Lot 3246
France: Dombes. Franc a' cheval, ND. Fr-120; PA.5102 var; Divo Dombes 17 p. 67. 3.47 grams. Pierre II, Duc De Bourbon & Comte De Clermont, 1482-1503. Head of duke to left. Legend-+PETRVS * DVX * BORBONI * TREVOSI * DII (crescent). Reverse :; Armored knight holding sword on horse. Legend - Lis. DEXTE * RA * DNI * EXALTA * VIT * ME *. Boldly struck portrait, crisp legend on a full planchet. A lovely example of Renaissance art. Very Rare. NGC graded AU-58.
Pierre II (1438-1503) was son of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, and was one of the key figures in the history of the Bourbons that brought the family influence upon the French crown. He was supposed to be engaged with Marie d'Orleans, to ensure the alliance between the two most powerful feudal houses in France. In order to prevent the potential threat to the power of the royal throne, King Louis XI broke the engagement and married Pierre his eldest daughter, Anne of France.
After the death of Louis XI, the couple became the regents over the 13-year-old King Charles VIII, and started to expand their power base. Even after 1491, when the King was 21 years old and started to show the willing of taking over the control of the kingdom, Pierre and Anne were still acting as very important figures in the court, even they failed to persist some of their farsighted suggestions, such as preventing the King from marching toward Italy. After the death of Charles, Pierre started to consider about retirement and devoted the rest of his life to his family.
The Bourbon influence in Dombes did not start until 1400's, when Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, acquired both the northern and southern part of the principality and combined them together. The reign lasted until 1523 when King Francis I confiscated the possession of the family. As a principality with relatively less historical importance, the coins issued by the Bourbon Domes are typically rare, and this presented piece, bearing the popular knight design on the reverse, is particularly highly sought after, with only a few examples seen in the public market with the last couple of decades.
Estimated Value $30,000 - 35,000.
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