$11,885.00 USD
This 1603 gold 2 Albus (Double Albertin) is from the city of Tournai, which despite its location in modern Belgium was under Habsburg Spanish rule at the time, not French control.
The obverse features the crowned arms of Albert and Isabella's domains, encircled by the Collar of the Golden Fleece (an elite chivalric order). The legend reads "ALBERTVS. ET ELISABET. D" (Albert and Isabella, by the grace of God)
The reverse depicts a Burgundian cross (Saint Andrew's cross) with a suspended Golden Fleece jewel at the intersection, surmounted by a crown. The date 16–03 appears split on either side of the cross. The inscription names their titles and the mint: "(TOUR) ARCH AVST DVCES BVRG ET DOM TOR" (Tournai, Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Burgundy, and Lords of Tournai) The inclusion of "TOUR" in the legend serves as the mintmark for Tournai.
The coin's rich design elements underscore its historical significance. The Golden Fleece emblem signifies the prestigious order founded by the Dukes of Burgundy, tying Albert's rule to the Burgundian heritage. The 1603 date is particularly significant as it falls near the end of Albert's autonomous coinage period (by 1621 the Spanish Netherlands would revert fully to Spanish Crown control).
This type had a relatively low mintage (for comparison, only 62,000 of the single Albertin were struck in 1600), making it a scarce and important coin bridging the Bourbon French era and Habsburg Flanders rule.
The MS61 grade places this coin among the absolute finest known specimens. High-grade coins from this era often command steep premiums over their typical counterparts, and this example represents the pinnacle for PCGS-certified pieces of this type.
France Gold 2 Alb, Tournai. The Only One Known!
