Coins of the Duchy of Vasconia

1 Comment / Duchy of Vasconia /

As Kirmen Uribe says, “I feel lucky to be Basque. Obstacles are obstacles, and attacks are attacks, we are lucky. The Basque language is the heritage of the planet, not just the Basques. It is our responsibility to protect it, because we are lucky enough to have that, we have something to offer the world, so that the earth itself is more diverse.” Those of us who are involved in coin collections also have a duty to protect our heritage. These coins have a stamped […]

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Examining the Navarrese Medal of Munich

Leave a Comment / Kingdom of Navarre /

A few weeks ago, I presented the collection of Navarrese coins that I had seen during a visit to the Staatliche Münzsammlung coin museum in Munich. The most unique of all the specimens in the museum, probably the only one known in the world, would be the joint medal of Joan III and Henry III mentioned by Adrien Blanchet. In his book „Histoire monétaire du Béarn“, published in 1893, Adrien Blanchet used the following drawing of the medal

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The Navarrese Collection of the Munich Coin Museum

Leave a Comment / Kingdom of Navarre /

For a long time, a little over eight years now, I am a Basque living in the Munich area. A year ago, I lived a little further from the Bavarian capital, but now I have moved to the outskirts of Munich and, taking advantage of the end of the pandemic, we dare to take a walk in the city center. On the third Sunday of November 2022, we got off the train at Marienplatz station and walked to the Odeonplatz area with our family.

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The Printings of Our Women in Coinage

1 Comment / Social and Economic Context /

Women are of great importance in our lives, our mothers, our loved ones, our family and friends, the school girls who showed us the world in Basque... all of them have had the same importance in Basque history, but as has happened everywhere, this importance has not been adequately reflected in the documents that have been preserved, nor in the narrative of history that we tell. Old coins are official documents that have survived to our days. The metal

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The Hand of Irulegi and the Vasconic Signario on Coins

Leave a Comment / Ancient Coinage, Paleohispanic Coinage /

November 14, 2022 was a historic day for Basque speakers, as well as for anyone who loves the Basque language. On that day, the Aranzadi Zientzia Taldea, the Aranguren Town Council, the Government of Navarre and linguistic experts announced the discovery of a bronze hand and the writing found on it at the Irulegi site (a site located in the municipality of Aranguren, Navarre). It is believed to date back to the 1st century BC, during the Sertorian Wars (82-72 BC).

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Silver Shields of Louis II

1 Comment / Donapaleu Mint, Louis II (1610-1643), Kingdom of Navarre /

Among the specimens struck at Donapoleun, the ones that have gained the least fame and honor are the silver quarters and eighths of Louis II (Louis XIII of France). While a fair amount of work can be found on the coinage of his father Henri III, little can be found on the coinage of Louis II, struck at the mints of Bearn and Navarre. One reason for this lack of appeal is that during Louis' reign

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1589, the Year of the Three Kings

2 Comments / Donapaleu Mint, Henry III (1572-1610), Kingdom of Navarre /

As we saw in the section dedicated to the Navarrese livres of Henry III, the year 1584 was the last year of the minting of the Navarrese livres. The same year was also the first year of the minting of the quarter escudos minted in Donapala; at the same time that the minting of the livres and half escudos was ending, the minting of the quarter escudos began at Donapala. By order of King Henry III of France of November 28, 1577

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The Liberes of Navarre under the Good King Henry III

3 Comments / Donapaleu Mint, Henry III (1572-1610), Kingdom of Navarre /

In this blog dedicated to Basque coinage, we have not yet talked about Henry III. Today, we will talk about Henry's coinage, or rather about a short period of his coinage. There is much to talk about Henry's life; after being King of Navarre from 1572 to 1589, from that year he became King of France and Navarre. But being a Higanote,

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The Coin of the Pyrenees Peace Treaty

1 Comment / Bayonne Mint, Louis XIV (1643-1715) /

On July 22, 1659, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, Prime Minister of King Louis XIV of France and consequently King Louis III of Navarre, arrived in the Sovereign Principality of Bidazun. There, at a dinner organized at the end of the day, he was honored and flattered by Antoine III. Sovereign Prince of Bidazun, Count of Agarmont, Marshal of France, Viceroy of Bearn and Navarre, and Mayor of Bayonne, at his castle of Bidazun… Count of Agarmont,

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The carlin and cornados of the so-called Bernart Lonjuhac of the Beguinage. Addendum

1 Comment / Blanche I and John II (1425-1441), Kingdom of Navarre /

When I publish a blog entry, I look back and take a final look at the topic I published. In this one, when I talked about Sancho Iturbide and his Carlins, I regretted that I had left out Bernart Lonjuhac. I stopped to look at the second manuscript sent by the Royal Archives of Navarre, which shows us the agreement between Bernart and the royal court. This one still

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