France (1431)-La Rochelle royal d'or Fr-303

from Stack's Bowers 2017 NYINC sale, lot 2377

This specimen was lot 2377 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2017), where it sold for $1,880. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Royal d'Or, ND (1431). La Rochelle Mint. Charles VII (1422-61). NGC MS-62. Plain point after cross. Slightly wavy flan giving a few small areas of weakness to strike but with essentially full legends and no doubling. A few scattered light marks being the only signs of handling and no circulation to be found. Softly toned a pleasing pale orange yellow with underlying luster." This coin was issued before the modern system of mintmarks was introduced by Francis I in 1540. Prior to that date, mints used various secret marks to identify and date their product. This otherwise undated and unmintmarked coin is thereby noted as being produced by the La Rochelle mint (later mintmark "H") as part of the second emission of April 1431. Duplessy notes this coin had a face value of 25 sols tournois at the time of issue. Four emissions are recorded for this type:

1st emission (October 1429): 3.82 g, 1.000 fine gold;
2nd emission (shown here): same as above;
3rd emission (September 1431): 3.49 g, 1.000 fine gold, value raised to 30 sols;
4th emission (December 1431): 3.82 g, 1.000 fine gold, value restored to 25 sols.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.82 g, 1.000 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-303; Dupl-455a; Ciani-626.

Source:

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]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2017 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Richard Stuart Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2016.
Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome I, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.

Link to:

France (1431)-La Rochelle royal d'or Fr-303

Navigation menu

Search