Medieval Belgium Brabant Real d'Or (Charles V) 1546 to 1557

Wow, Hannah. What a coin! This is a real d'or, weighing about 5 grams. Both gold and silver coins were minted with the same pattern. Florins were also minted, weighing about 3 grams.

Charles V of the Holy Roman empire, later Charles I of Spain, is shown on the obverse ('heads' side) and his motto 'Give me strength against Your enemies' appears in Latin on the reverse. The region of Brabant (covering parts of Belgium and The Netherlands today) was near the Spanish Netherlands and sometimes called Southern Netherlands. You see this coin listed under various locations, including Austria, Belgium, Brabant, Lowlands, and Netherlands.

The coin in our primary picture is minted in silver. It is in wonderful condition and it sold in a 2004 auction for 2500 Swiss francs, about the same as $2500 US dollars. It would probably sell for more than $2500 today. The auction house was Muenzen & Medaillen GmbH in Weil am Rhein, where the borders of Germany, France, and Switzerland meet. CoinQuest thanks Muenzen & Medaillen for use of their coin photo. Is is a beauty!

Catalog values are not very meaningful for these old, wonderful, medieval coins. Each coin stands on its own merits. Nevertheless, for very general, approximate guidance, we offer these catalog values which apply to both gold and silver coins weighing near 5 grams:

worn: $500 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $1500
well preserved: $4000

To qualify for these values, the coin must be free of problems, including scratches, stains, corrosion. cleanings, spots, nicks, gouges, and the like. Use our Important Terminology page to understand what 'catalog value' means.

For your collecting enjoyment, and for giving another price point, look at this breathtaking gold example from Stack's Bowers. It sold for $5500 US dollars in 2008.

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