Dombes 1578 ecu d'or Fr-122
The first specimen was lot 817 in Jean Elsen sale 112 (Brussels, March 2012) where it sold for €3,200 (about US$5,000 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, DOMBES, Principauté, Louis II de Bourbon-Montpensier (1560-1582), AV demi-pistole (écu d'or), 1578, Trévoux. Droit : Ecu de Bourbon couronné. MONTISP en fin de légende. Revers : Croix fleuronnée. Rare. Superbe." (Principality of Dombes, Louis II de Bourbon-Montpensier (1560-1582), gold half pistole or écu d'or, of 1578, Trévoux mint. Obverse: crowned arms of Bourbon, "MONTISP" at end of legend; reverse: cross with fleurs-de-lys at the ends; rare, extremely fine.)
The second specimen was lot 448 in Sincona sale 46 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 650 CHF (about US$780 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"Louis II. de Bourbon-Montpensier, 1560-1582. Ecu dor (1/2 Pistole) 1578, Trévoux. Sehr schön. Kratzer und Randfehler. (France, county of Dombes, Louis II de Bourbon-Montpensier, 1560-82, gold écu or half pistole of 1578, Trevoux mint. Very fine, Scratches and edge nicks.)"
The Dombes region lies south of Franch Comte and west of Savoy and was a fief of the Montpensier family.
Reported Mintage: unknown but rare.
Specification: 3.36 g, .952 fine gold, .103 troy oz AGW, the first specimen 3,26 g, the second specimen 5.95 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 2926, Divo, Dombes, 28 var; P.A., 5109 var; Fr-122.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 112, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2012.
- [2]Richter, Jürg, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.
Link to:
- Dombes (1482-1503) franc a cheval Fr-120
- Dombes 1575 ecu d'or Fr-122
- 1576 écu d'argent, mint officials' pass
- Dombes 1577 teston
- 1578 double écu d'or (pistole)
- Dombes 1579 ecu d'or Fr-122
- Dombes 1586 6 blancs
- Liege 1613 ecu d'or Fr-316
- 1641 écu d'or
- Coins and currency dated 1578
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)