The Michael Joffre Collection of Anglo-Gallic Coinage

Triton XVIII, Lot: 1770. Estimate $150. Sold for $160. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ANGLO-GALLIC. Henry II (Henri I d’Aquitaine). 1154-1189. BI Denier (17.5mm, 0.85 g, 4h). Bordeaux mint. + hENRICVS REX (S horizontal), cross pattée / º+º/ AQVI/ TANI/ ºЄº in four lines. SCBC 8001; Elias 1; Duplessy, Féodales 1030; Elias Collection 6; Boudeau 468; Poey d'Avant 2756. VF, minor areas of weak strike.

From the Michael Joffre Collection.

My journey collecting Anglo-Gallic pieces began about 18 years ago, when my close friend and numismatic mentor Bill Whetstone offered me a nice denier of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Of course, the next purchases were the Elias catalogs, both the reference book and auction sale. With these tools in hand, I set off on a wonderful collecting journey.

As a lifetime Montreal resident, the history of French and English conflict is always fresh in my mind. Being a full-time coin dealer, and owner of Carsley Whetstone, gave me many avenues to discover new Anglo-Gallic treasures. Some of the pieces did come my way via local purchases here in Canada, others from more traditional sources like auctions, mail order lists, and eBay. Many others, however, were acquired through collecting friendships I developed with people both in Europe and North America. Steve Ford and I began corresponding about 15 years ago...both of us being the “young guys” in the collecting area at the time. His passion and scientific pursuit of information for this series is astounding. I consider him to be the current world expert on the subject, and am privileged to have learned, and acquired some special pieces from him.

As you will see from the listings, many of the coins are very rare or nearly unique, and putting together another grouping like this would be a formidable challenge, regardless of budget. Of particular note, there are six coins from Bergerac, an Elias 183, an Elias 217 La Rochelle, which I believe to have discovered the first example, and many rare Edward III pieces, including some not listed in Elias. Much of the collection has been displayed over the years at local coin clubs, including the Montreal Numismatic Society, and the Lakeshore Coin Club, both of which I have been the long serving President. My hope is that in new hands my collection will create the same passion I enjoyed, and it will spur yet more research into the Hundred Years War, and its coinage.

– Michael Joffre

All of the following Anglo-Gallic coins are from the Joffre Collection. References to SCBC in this section refer to Standard Catalogue of British Coins, volume 2, Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands including Anglo-Gallic coins (Spink, 2015 [forthcoming]), based on the work of Steve Ford and Paul and Bente R. Withers, Anglo-Gallic Coins (Galata, 2015 [forthcoming]). Reattributions from Edward III to Edward II are also based on the latter work.

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. would like to thank Steve Ford and Dr. Gordon Andreas Singer for their assistance in the cataloging of this collection.