Netherlands (Spanish, Liege) Liard and 1/2 Liard 1614 and 1615

Hello Frank -- It sounds like you have an old liard from Liege, a bishopric (that is, an area of the Roman Empire where a bishop held secular authority) situated between France and Germany, north of Luxembourg. The city of Liege is in Belgium today.

The bishop was Ferdinand of Bavaria who ruled from 1612 to 1650.

The coin in our picture comes from Jean Elsen et ses Fils, numismatists in Brussels. Elsen's coin is in wonderful condition and it sold for 80 euros (about $100 US dollars) in a 2008 auction. CoinQuest thanks Jean Elsen for use of the coin photo. It is a beauty!

The catalogs report the following values for these coins, both the liard and 1/2 liard:

worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $40
well preserved: $150

Since Frank's coin has a hole in it, it is worth far less than these values. Damage such as scratches, spots, holes, cleanings, nicks, gouges and the like always sends the price of collectible coins to the basement.
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