How Far Back Can We Go? Fourth Edition! Ended At 1461 Waiting On 1460 C. E. (A. H. 864)

I do not want to create false hope, and let the jury decide, this is what I stumbled upon at the lates auction from Elsen & sons in Brussels. with the following descritpion

"PAYS-BAS MERIDIONAUX, Anvers, Chapelle du Saint-Nom-de-Jesus, Cu mereau, 1480. Hippolyte Vledincx. Mereau obituaire de 20 deniers. D/ Les chiffres gothiques XX coupes par une banderole inscrite YPOL·TERRAX. En dessous, 1480. R/ Le monogramme IHS en lettres gothiques. Au-dessus, une main. de Beer 33; Min. III, 1. 5,53g Rare. Très Beau (Very Fine)

OBV: XX (face value of 20 deniers) YPOL TERRAX 1480
REV: hand of the mint of Antwerp, monogram IHS in gothic letters




Olivier Elsen was so kind to provide me a copy of the Revue Belge Numismatique vol 81: 53-173, pl.1-15 (1929) where Joseph de Beer published his description of the Mereaux Anversois (tokens for the poor from the city of Antwerp)

The history of this particular piece is connected to the death of Hippolyte Vledincx (Ypol Terrax) mintmaster of the city of Bruges and later of the Antwerp mint of Brabant. Hippolyte Vledincx had organised the erection of a chapel (chapel of the name of Christ) for the coin makers in the Cathedral of Antwerp, When Vledincx died in 1480 he dedicated part of his fortune to the the poor of Antwerp. Since then, for an unknown amount of years, these copper pieces, worth XX deniers in bread were produced by the mint of Antwerp for the poor. So the date refers to the year Ypol Terrax died, which was 1480, but the same date was used for an unknown amount of time (probably until late in the 16th century).

Reference: Joseph de Beer: Mereaux Anversois, essai descriptif. Première partie. Revue Belge Numismatique vol 81: 53-173, pl.1-15 (1929) piece #33

in summary this is a rare mereau that circulated in the sixteenth century in a social security system generated by the cathedral of Antwerp and financed by the small fortune left by Hippolyte Vledincx, the mint master of Antwerp, for the poor of the city. The date 1480 has significance, as it memorizes the foundation of the charity of the chapel, but is is NOT the year this piece was minted. I looked on page 1 of this thread and leave it to the wisdom of the CCF members to decide whether or not this little copper piece can bring us back one step more in time.

A wonderful post and thank you for sharing!

However, since the date it was minted cannot be determined I do not think it can advance the thread.

Patience. This thread will demand it from you.

Moi aussi! OOPS ... me, too!

The history of this piece most certainly leads one to request EXCEPTION! But alas, the hard-nosed judges have ruled.

Let's hope we get 1480 before I am older and grayer.

Yet another one that won't move the thread. A 1479-85 K-P/V Hungarian Denar under Matthias Corvinus with baby Jesus in Madonna's left arm;Huszar 719,Unger 565a,Rethy II239A,Pohl 221-3.

Will this do? I have others.

When do you want the 1479? I can
take it back to 1465 with out a break.