Sale: CNG 60, Lot: 2087. Estimate $150.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 22 May 2002.  Sold For $200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FRANCE. St. Louis IX. 1226-1270. AR Gros Tournois (3.79 gm). Tours mint. +LVDOVICVS REX, +BHDICTV:SIT:HOME:DNI:NRI:DEI:ILV.XPI, in two concentric rings; cross pattée in center / TVRONVS²CIVIS, châtel tournois; floral border of twelve embedded lis. Duplessy 190; Ciani 181; Roberts 2451. Nice Fine, toned, faint hairline scratches. ($150)

Bought at Seaby, 1945.

The gros tournois was a coin of great popularity in medieval France. Its acceptability lead it to be imitated widely, and the design lent itself to the deniers tournois of Frankish Greece. Similarly, the denomination was used in Tripoli as the basis of Frankish silver coinage. Louis IX (St. Louis), a strong, charismatic, and pious king, persuaded many of his vassals to join in waging the Seventh Crusade. His army took Damietta in Egypt in 1249, only to surrender it in 1250. Louis was captured and ransomed for 2,000,000 livres tournois, equalling 1,000,000 gold bezants.