France (1348) ecu d'or Fr-270
This specimen was lot 724 in Jean Elsen sale 160 (Brussels, November 2024), where it sold for €1,000 (about US$1,266 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Philippe VI de Valois (1328-1350), AV écu d'or à la chaise, 3e émission (janvier 1348). D/ Le roi assis dans une stalle gothique, ten. l'épée et l'écu de France, dans un polylobe cantonné de petits trèfles. R/ Croix quadrilobée et fleuronnée, dans un quadrilobe orné de feuilles et cantonné de quatre trèfles. Nettoyé. Griffes au droit. presque Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Philip VI of Valois, 1328-50, gold écu of the chair, third emission of January 1348. Obverse: the king enthroned under a gothic dais, bearing the sword and shield of France, within a polylobe cantonned with small trefoils; reverse: quadrilobed and floriate cross within a quadrilobe adorned with leaves and cantonned with four trefoils. Cleaned, scratches on the obverse, about very fine.)"
Duplessy notes that this coin endured multiple manipulations, today called "emissions". The first emission was Dupl-249 (Jan. 1337), 1.000 fine gold, 4.53 g, 20 sols tournois. The second emission was Dupl-249A (April 1343), where the value was lowered to 16 sols, 8 deniers tournois. The third emission (shown here) was Dupl-249B (Jan. 1348), which raised the value to 18 sols, 8 deniers tournois. The fourth emission was Dupl-249C (Aug. 1348), when the value was raised again to 20 sols tournois. The fifth and final emission was Dupl-249D (March 1349), where the specification was changed to .916 fine gold, 4.53 g, and the value raised once again to 25 sols. 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), ange d'or (75 sols) and couronne d'or (40 sols). Only the écu d'or is reasonably common.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.532 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen is 4,42 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-270, Dupl-249B; Ci. 285; Laf. 262b.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 160, Collection de deniers liegeois et Collection de monnaies d'or francaises, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.
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