Sale: Nomos 1, Lot: 184. Estimate CHF7500.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 5 May 2009.  Sold For CHF8250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FRANCE, Provincial. Orange. Raymond V. 1340-1393. Franc à pied (Gold, 3.74 g 3). RAMVNDVS DEI GRA PRIC AVRA Crowned and armored price standing facing within gothic portico, holding sword and scepter; fields ornamented with lis Rev. +XPIC VINCIT XPIC REGNAT XPIC IMPERAT Cross fleury quartered with two lis and two crowns, all within polylobe of four arcs and four points, lis in each spandrel. Boudeau 985. Fr. 190. Poey d'Avant 4527. Sharp and beautifully struck, a well-nigh perfect piece. Good extremely fine.

The principality of Orange came into being in 1163, as a fief of the Empire and soon came into the hands of the powerful Counts of Baux (now Les Baux, the site where the name of the ore of aluminum, bauxite, comes from). Raymond V was the last full member of the House of Baux to rule Orange, it then passed to Marie of Baux and her husband John of Chion, then to the House of Orange-Nassau, the present ruling house of the Netherlands. In fact, the principality had been taken by Louis XIV in 1673, though the title went to Prussia with the death of William III. In 1713 the Prussians ceded all their rights to France . This coin is the most impressive of all the coins issued by the medieval rulers of Orange and reflects the overwhelming power and pride of the House of Baux (do note that there is a great deal of confusion over the numeration of the counts of Baux - this coin is often wrongly given to Raymond IV).