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Bourgeois Fort - Frederick IV
| Issuer | Lorraine, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1312-1328 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | A floriated or budded cross occupies the central field, with fleurs-de-lis or trefoil ornaments terminating each arm in the style typical of medieval bourgeois coinages. The surrounding circular Latin legend reads FERRICVS DVX, identifying the issuing duke. The flan is irregular and slightly irregular in shape, consistent with hammered medieval production. The relief is low and the die work displays characteristic Gothic craftsmanship of early 14th-century Lorraine. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A ducal or princely crown is depicted in the upper portion of the field, surmounting a horizontal band of text arranged in two or more lines across the coin's surface, a layout characteristic of the bourgeois fort type. The Latin legend FORTIS ✠ LOTOREGIE encircles the design, proclaiming the coin's denomination and its origin in Lorraine. The overall composition is compact and formulaic, following the conventions of contemporary French-influenced deniers. The flan shows typical hammered irregularities and surface patination consistent with medieval billon coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick IV ruled Lorraine during a period when the duchy's coinage was heavily shaped by the proliferation of small billon issues across the fragmented lordships of the upper Rhineland and Moselle basin. The "bourgeois fort" denomination itself emerged from French monetary influence filtering eastward, a direct echo of the Capetian capillary reach into nominally independent territories. Frederick's issues circulated alongside a chaotic mixture of episcopal and seigneurial coinages, making attribution difficult even at the time.
Flon's classification remains the standard reference for Lorraine billon of this period, though die linkages across Frederick's sixteen-year striking window are not fully mapped.