France (1342) agne d'or Fr-273
This specimen was lot 99074 in Heritage sale 61253 (Dallas, January 2022), where it sold for $6,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"France: An Appreciable Example of this Iconic French Type. Philippe VI (1328-1350) gold Ange d'Or ND (from 1342) AU53 NGC, Paris mint. 3rd Emission (from 26 June 1342). • PhILIPPVS: D' | GRA: FRAC: RЄX • (annulet and triple annulet stops), St. Michael the Archangel, crowned, standing facing beneath a Gothic portico within tressure, his right hand pinning down the Dragon with a cruciform staff and his left supporting the royal arms / +XP'C: VIHCIT: XP'C: RЄGHAT: XP'C: IMPЄRAT (triple pellet stops), cross fleurée within quadrilobe, lis in angles and crowns in spandrels. A singularly type usually found either abysmally preserved and heavily bent, or in such a superior technical state as to be virtually unattainable to the majority of collectors. Distinguished by its ample residual die and only mild wear, the current selection brings the type much more within reach without having to sacrifice on the iconic motifs that make this design so iconic within the series. Only the slightest evidence of unevenness can be detected in hand, which in any case has kept from seriously bending the flan. On the whole a fully appreciable example, this marking just the third occasion we have had to offer the type. Ex. Künker Auction 264 (June 2015, Lot 3041)."
This is the last issue of this denomination. Other gold coins listed for Philip VI include parisis d'or (25 sols), lion d'or (25 sols), pavillion d'or (25 sols), chaise d'or (16 to 20 sols), royal d'or (25 sols), écu d'or (20 sols) and couronne d'or (40 sols). Only the écu d'or is reasonably common.
Recorded mintage: unknown but scarce.
Specification: 5.82 g, 1.000 fine gold; this specimen 5.71 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-273, Ciani-Unl., Lafaurie-258b, Dupl-255B.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome I, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, The Brittany Collection of French Coins Showcase Auction #61253, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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