Philippe VI (1328-1350) gold Pavillon d'Or ND (from 1339) MS64 S NGC, Paris mint, Fr-266, Ciani-270, Lafaurie-254, Dup-251. 5.04gm. Emission from 8 June 1339. (lis) PhILIPPVS: DEI GRA (bar of contraction above RA): FRANChORVM: REX (triple annulet stops), Philippe, crowned, seated facing on throne beneath draped canopy, lis-tipped scepter supported by left hand / +•XP'C: VIИCIT: XP'C: RЄGИAT: XP'C: IMPЄRAT (triple annulet stops), cross fleurdelisée within quadrilobe with trefoils in angles and crowns in spandrels. An absolute show-stopper of a coin, and one of the absolute nicest pieces of medieval gold coinage that the cataloger has ever seen. Very rarely do we get such a close look at how the coinage of the Middle Ages must have appeared when it first left the mint. And yet we have the present coin. A miracle of survivorship, to say that even its added "star" does not quite do justice to its superb in-hand beauty is hardly an exaggeration. There is not an angle from which the offering does not exude mint fresh detail and radiant luster which cascades effortlessly over the fields. Stray marks are essentially absent, in their place is noteworthy die polish. Though the edge is slightly irregular, this is hardly an unusual feature of Philippe's Pavillon d'Or. Unsurprisingly the single finest certified, and one of the few entries in the graded population from this period to receive a star designation.

HID09801242017

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