France (1483)-Angers ecu d'or Fr-318
This specimen was lot 2733 in Sincona sale 83 (Zürich, May 2023), where it sold for 800 CHF (about US$1,071 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANKREICH, Charles VIII. 1483-1498. Ecu d'or au soleil o. J. (1. Emission, 11.9.1483), Angers. Gutes vorzüglich (Good extremely fine)." This écu d'or au soleil was issued for Charles VIII from numerous mints. Most of the mints placed a quadrilobe at the center of the cross but Perpignan used a "P". Two types exist; the first emission lacked the "REX" at the end of the reverse legend. Duplessy notes that the face value was 36 sols, 3 deniers tournois. In 1540, the use of letters as mintmarks was regularized and the "secret dots" were abandoned.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, .963 fine gold, this specimen 3.48 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 575, Fr-318.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 83, World and Swiss Coins and Medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2023.
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