Medieval Coin Cabinet

Research · Plates

The shield and star group

Saulcy, Recherches (1841), Plate IV, figures 2 to 7 — the six Nancy pieces whose attribution between Ferry III and Ferry IV is unresolved.

A restitution study reassigned figures 4 to 7 of this plate to Ferry III as a consecutive group. The evidence it rests on is the name FERRIC standing in the re-entrant angles of the star, which a datable piece bearing a label copies — and that feature does not fall where the plate numbering does. It is carried by figure 3, which the reassignment leaves outside the run, and it is absent from figure 6, which the reassignment takes in.

The drawings are shown together here so the grouping can be judged rather than taken on the plate's arrangement. Descriptions, weights and cabinets are Saulcy's, verified against pages 54 and 55 of the printed text; the gram figures are conversions of his grain weights at 54 mg to the grain, not modern measurements.

  1. Line drawing of both faces of a denier: the shield of Lorraine charged with a bend of three alerions beneath a cross between two trefoils, with the divided legend either side; on the reverse a sword point downward crossing a beaded inner circle

    Fig. 2

    Shield-and-trefoil denier

    Obverse
    Shield of Lorraine beneath a cross between two trefoils, .FER’. right, .DVX. left
    Reverse
    MONET’ NA’CEI; sword point downward
    Weight
    8½ grains, 0.459 g
    Specimen
    Cabinet Voillemier

    No FERRIC in the angles Outside the reassigned run

  2. Line drawing of both faces of a double denier: a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine at its centre with the letters of FERRIC in the angles; on the reverse a cross with foliate terminals

    Fig. 3

    FERRIC star with cross fleuronnée

    Obverse
    FERRIC in the re-entrant angles of a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine
    Reverse
    DVX LOTOREGIE; cross fleuronnée
    Weight
    18 grains, 0.972 g
    Specimen
    Cabinet de Geneste

    FERRIC in the angles Outside the reassigned run

  3. Line drawing of both faces of a double denier: a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine with the letters of FERRIC in the angles; on the reverse a cross with small crosses at the ends of its arms and four different devices in the cantons

    Fig. 4

    FERRIC star with cantoned cross

    Obverse
    FERRIC in the re-entrant angles of a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine
    Reverse
    DVX LOTOREGIE; cross with small crosses at the ends, cantoned with a square, a lozenge, a small cross and an alerion
    Weight
    printed as 29 grains, 1.566 g; Saulcy queried 19 grains, 1.026 g
    Specimen
    Cabinet Tiercelin

    FERRIC in the angles Within the reassigned run

  4. Line drawing of both faces of a denier: a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine with the letters of FERRIC in the angles; on the reverse a cross hollowed at its centre with devices in the cantons

    Fig. 5

    Denier of the cantoned-cross type

    Obverse
    FERRIC in the re-entrant angles of a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine
    Reverse
    Cross hollowed at its heart, cantoned as above
    Weight
    Not recorded
    Specimen
    Known only from Dom Calmet’s figure

    FERRIC in the angles Within the reassigned run

  5. Line drawing of both faces of a double denier: a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine at its centre, the legend running around the rim; on the reverse a sword point downward crossing a beaded circle containing two alerions

    Fig. 6

    Star-and-shield double denier

    Obverse
    + F. DVX LOTORENGIE; six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine, no FERRIC in the angles
    Reverse
    MONETA DE NANCEI; sword point downward between two alerions
    Weight
    18 grains, 0.972 g
    Specimen
    Cabinet Charotte, goldsmith at Nancy

    No FERRIC in the angles Within the reassigned run

  6. Line drawing of both faces of a denier: a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine with the letters of FERRIC in the angles; on the reverse a sword point downward between two alerions

    Fig. 7

    FERRIC star denier

    Obverse
    FERRIC in the re-entrant angles of a six-pointed star bearing the shield of Lorraine
    Reverse
    MONETA DE NANCEI; sword point downward between two alerions
    Weight
    6 grains, 0.324 g
    Specimen
    Cabinet of Dom Brulant, Benedictine at Flavigny

    FERRIC in the angles Within the reassigned run

Read down the two labels under each drawing and the mismatch is plain: four pieces carry FERRIC, four fall within the reassigned run, and they are not the same four. One of those groupings follows the evidence and the other follows the order in which Saulcy happened to engrave the plate. Until that is settled the whole series is better described as disputed than assigned, which is how it stands on the Ferry IV page.