MADAGASCAR, Colonial. French. Louis XIV. 1643-1715. AR Medal (63mm, 114.05 g, 12h). The Colonization of Madagascar. By J. Warin. Dated 1665. EF.

CNG Feature Auction 123
Lot: 880. Estimated: $ 10 000

A Special Collection of Madagascar, Silver

Sold For $ 13 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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MADAGASCAR, Colonial. French. Louis XIV. 1643-1715. AR Medal (63mm, 114.05 g, 12h). The Colonization of Madagascar. By J. Warin. Dated 1665. LVDOVICVS · MAGNUS · FRAN · ET · NAV · REX · P · P ·, armored and draped bust right / COLONIA MADAGASCARICA, zebu bull standing left, head facing; ebony tree and landscape in background; 1665 in exergue. Jacquiot fig. 1, a; Jones II 240. Lightly toned with gleaming luster, small flan crack, minor hairlines, edge ding. EF. Much as struck. The diagnostic reverse die break at a very early stage, as on the BM specimen examined by Jones. Extremely rare. A spectacular and highly important medal.

From an English private collection of coins and medals relating to Madagascar, formed from the 1960s to the present. Ex Peus 394 (31 October 2007), lot 1740 (hammer €11,750).

A note from the collector: My interest in Madagascar developed in the early 1950s when I was about eight years old. I cannot identify a trigger but I recall pestering my father for old books and artifacts relating to the subject. Over the years I have built up a collection of ethnography, books and handwritten documents by early travelers and settlers, local artifacts and numismatic items. Those offered here are a small selection.

In 1664, as the French sought to expand their colonial holdings into the southern Indian ocean, Louis XIV granted the rights to the island of Madagascar, as well as the outlying islands, to the Compagnie des Indes Orientales. The French were utterly unprepared for the tropical climate. By 1673, the colony had failed, and commercial efforts were redirected to the Mascarene islands.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 123 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 23-24 May 2023. This lot is in Session Four, which will begin 24 May 2023 at 2 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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