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 Replies: 8 / Views: 2,854 |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
585 Posts |
 France, Charles VI. silver "GuƩnar". Does anybody know what the word "GuƩnar" means? Is it possible to translate it? 
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Pillar of the Community
France
1591 Posts |
Nice coin in an excellent quality ! I tried to look up the information, but found no explanation ... Actually the only thing I found was that they don't know where the name comes from, they suppose it was the last name of someone - but have no clue. Reference : http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/hom...s1=standard& |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
Are you sure it is not a conflation of "Gros Denier". The unit of monetary coinage in France as in most of Europe was a silver Denier a Penny n(abbreviated d). France used Gros as an adjective when dealing with "larger" denominations.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
645 Posts |
Definition from Frey:
Guenar, also called Blanc Guenar. A varietv of the Blanc, struck by Charles VI of France (1380-1422). Its value was ten Deniers, and the obverse showed the armorial shield of France, while the reverse had a cross pattee with lilies and crowns alternately in the angles. The Guenar Delphinal of the same type was issued for Dauphiny, and there is a corresponding demi-Guenar in both series. It was copied in the Anglo-Gallic series by Henry V (1415-1422). See Hoffmann (22-29, etc.).
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Pillar of the Community
France
1591 Posts |
The coin is made with billon, unlike the previous ones which had more silver. War with the english was costing a lot of money, as well as bad management ... At least that's what's said in my book.
Tell me if you want a longer translation, I just typed what I remembered reading :) (breakfast time now)
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Pillar of the Community
 Australia
585 Posts |
Thank you all but I knew all of that. Just that word "guenar" puzzles me.
Someone told me it's of Breton origin?
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Pillar of the Community
France
1591 Posts |
I tried to look it up to have more informations, but most of what I could find was spelled with a D at the end.
And for that word, it's said to be from a germanic origin : Wanhard (wan = waiting, hope + hard = hard). Most of those with this name are found in SaƓne-et-Loire and Somme.
That book clearly says they don't know the origin of the name - at all (they just suppose it's a family name, but they don't know the reason for it).
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
585 Posts |
Maybe because of the lower silver content they mockingly call it after unpopular finance minister or tax officer?
Thank you MathieuMa.
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Pillar of the Community
France
1591 Posts |
That could be a nice explanation yes ... more plausible than the die maker or some mint owner, as that would have been documented (I suppose).
Anyway, it's an excellent looking silver GuƩnar - not a quality that is often seen :)
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Replies: 8 / Views: 2,854 |
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Posted 11/30/2011 05:52 am
