Silver Coin Holder Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction

By Kimball Sterling

May 24, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-24 11:00:00 2025-05-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-19479
A European Masterpiece Cane Auction Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description
  Ca. 1900 A silver T-shaped handle containing a cushion-shaped top with a hammered surface and gently rounded edges, evoking the appearance of a smooth pebble, complemented by a vertical plinth adorned with a meticulously hand-chased threefold repeating pattern. The feather-operated top section flips up with a single touch of a button, revealing circular compartments suited for two different coin sizes. The latter contains engine-turned spring-operated slots, allowing seamless coin storage and dispensing. Despite its apparent fragility, the handle withstood wear astonishingly, preserving its excellent condition and ensuring smooth functionality. It comes on a nicely veined and richly-hued laurel shaft with a silver ferrule. The faint traces of four hidden hallmarks along the bottom edge of the collar suggest a French origin, justifying the use of the distinctive French term “Porte Louis” for the cane. This cane, rarely encountered in such quality, triggered passionate conversations for many years. Who in the cane collectors' circle from the 1970s doesn't recall the long-dated, seasoned, and charming Swiss collector Dr. J.H. from Zurich, who welcomed his visitors with a salute gun cane shot on his terrace on the heights of the old city? Not only did his custom cartridges loaded with black powder make a loud blast, but they also sent out a flurry of fumes, brilliant colored fire, and an eager bark from the household dog. Throughout the evening, he frequently held this cane in his hand, saying that coins in a cane served a dual purpose for subtle gratuities and donations, with the owner's level of generosity reflected in the size of the compartment designated for the coins within the handle! H. 2 ¼”x 1 ¾”, O.L. 34” $300-$400 In 1640, Louis XIII introduced a gold coin of uniform fineness (22 carats) known as the Louis d’or. Denominations were determined by the standardized weights of the circular gold blanks (planchets) from which the coins were struck. Louis XIII’s successors issued the royal coinage until the French Revolution brought Louis XVI's reign to a close in 1792. For over one hundred fifty years, the Louis d’or remained a symbol of the stability and power of France under the Bourbon monarchs. The 1640 issue of Louis d’or contained five denominations: a half Louis and a one, two, four, and eight Louis.
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