1554 Gold CD'OR NGC MS 61

The 1554 Couronne d'Or was struck in the Spanish Netherlands under Habsburg rule (Duchy of Brabant, Antwerp mint) during the reign of Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, r.1506–1555).

The obverse bears the crowned Austrian-Burgundian arms flanked by two firesteels (the heraldic "Burgundian Cross") with a sun above the crown. The Latin legend "CAROLVS D G RO IMP HISP REX DVX BVRG Z B" (Charles, by the Grace of God Emperor of the Romans, King of Spain, Duke of Burgundy and Brabant) circles the arms

The reverse shows a short cross with fleur-de-lys ends; in the angles alternate towers and the double-headed imperial eagles. The reverse legend reads "DA MIHI VIRTVTE CONTRA HOSTES TVOS" ("Grant me strength against your enemies")

Key features include:

• Known as Couronne au soleil (French "crown with sun") or zonnekroon in Dutch
• The date ("54" for 1554) and mintmark (hand of Antwerp) appear at the end of the reverse legend 
• Struck in high-purity gold (c.929‰ fineness) with a weight of approximately 3.38 grams
• Modern references catalog this coin as Friedberg 60, Delmonte 102
  

This coin is part of a series of Couronne d'Or types (basically large gold "gulden" or half-ducat coins) struck in Brabant during the 1540s–1560s. Collectors prize this coin for its striking heraldry (sunburst, crowned arms) and rarity, with dated examples from 1541-51 using four-digit dates, while the 1554 is inscribed simply as "54".

Belgium Gold CD'OR. Tied for Finest Known!  2/0