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1/2 Batzen - Henri I
| Issuer | Duchy of Neuchâtel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1593-1595 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Batzen (1⁄42) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Quartered shield bearing the arms of Orléans-Longueville and Neuchâtel, surmounted by a rounded crown flanked by celery-leaf fleurons in the field. The shield is centrally positioned with the four quarters clearly defined. The Latin legend encircles the shield, separated by cross-pommée stops, with the date numerals appearing within the legend. The overall style is characteristic of late 16th-century Swiss hammered coinage, with an irregular flan typical of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A prominent croix pattée occupies the central field, enclosed within a beaded inner circle. The arms of the cross flare outward toward the inner circle, with the ends displaying a characteristic patée form. The surrounding legend, separated by a fleur-de-lis stop, runs between the inner beaded circle and the coin's edge. The flan is irregular and the strike somewhat weak in areas, consistent with hammered billon coinage of the late 16th century. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Henri I de Longueville held Neuchâtel through a legitimacy that was always contested — his father Léonor inherited the county through his mother, and the Longueville grip on the territory depended heavily on French royal favor rather than any ironclad dynastic right. The billon half-batzen issues of the early 1590s fall squarely within a period when Henri was consolidating his administration of the county while simultaneously engaged in the French Wars of Religion on the Valois-Bourbon side.
The multiple DWM reference numbers reflect documented die variants within this short two-year window — at least three distinct pairings are catalogued, suggesting active die replacement rather than a single continuous run.