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Gold Crown - William III of Bavaria
| Issuer | Hainaut, County of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1356-1389 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ✠ DVX ⁑ WILLELM ⁑ DEI ⁑GRA ⁑COMES ⁑ hAnOnIE (Translation: Duke William, by God's grace Count of Hainaut) |
| Reverse description | Central design consists of an elaborate quatrefoil ornament composed of four large Gothic fleurs-de-lis radiating from a central boss, with smaller trefoil and floral motifs filling the intervening spaces, all within a raised inner circle and beaded border. The composition is highly decorative and typical of the French-influenced gold coinage of the Low Countries in the second half of the 14th century. The surrounding circumferential legend in Gothic lettering reads: XPC VINCIT XPC REGNAT XPC INPERAT, the traditional Christological acclamation invoking Christ as conqueror, king, and ruler. The reverse demonstrates refined die work with carefully arranged symmetrical ornament. |
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| Additional information |
William III ruled Hainaut jointly with his mother Margaret of Constantinople's line through a period of sustained dynastic tension with the House of Avesnes and competing Flemish interests. Gold crowns of this type were struck primarily to facilitate large mercantile transactions and political payments in a region where Flemish, French, and Imperial monetary authorities all competed for dominance. The Hainaut counts issued aggressively during this window precisely because territorial control was insecure — coinage was leverage.
Delmonte's classification places this among the rarer Hainaut gold issues, with Fr#27 appearing infrequently at auction.