France (1515-28) ecu d'or Fr-357
The first specimen was lot 323 in Sincona sale 46 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 400 CHF (about US$480 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Frankreich, François I. 1515-1547. Ecu dor au soleil du Dauphiné o. J. (4. Typ, 3. Emission, bis 1528), Crémieu. Sehr schön. Kleine Henkelspur. (kingdom of France, Francis I, 1515-47, undated écu d'or of the sunburst of Dauphiné, fourth emission before 1528, Crémieu mint. Very fine, Small mount mark.)"
The second specimen was lot 70457 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, May 2018), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[2] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or, ND. Cremieu Mint. Francis I (1515-47). PCGS AU-58 Secure Holder. écu d'or au soleil du Dauphiné, premiere émission struck at the Crémieu mint for Francois I. Obverse: Arms of France quartered with Dauphiné; reverse: floriate cross, dot under 1st letter. Well struck for type with good luster and full legends, great eye appeal." This is the fourth type of écu d'or au soleil du Dauphiné issue during the reign of Francis I. The first type (Dupl-782) featured a plain reverse; the second type (Dupl-783) had crowned "F's" on the reverse; the third type (Dupl-784) had a dolphin on the second quarter and a lys on the fourth quarter and the fourth type (Dupl-785, shown here) had two crowns. A fifth type (Dupl-786) had a dolphin and a crowned "F" and a sixth (Dupl-787) had a dolphin and a plain "F". All had a face value of 40 sols tournois.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.44 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen 3.24 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 785. Fr-357.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 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, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.
- [2]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The May 2018 Collector's Choice Sale, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
Link to:
- (1514-15) écu d'or au porc-épic de Bretagne
- (1515-40) hardi
- (1515-17) liard au dauphin
- (1515-40) grand blanc de Bretagne, Rennes mint
- (1515-47) grand blanc du Dauphiné, Crémieu mint
- (1515) grand blanc à la couronne
- (1515-40) teston, Rouen mint
- (1515-40) teston, Lyon mint
- Milan (1515-22) scudo d'oro del sole
- (1515) écu d'or au soleil, Lyon mint, plain reverse
- (1515) écu d'or au soleil, Lyon mint, crowned "F's" on the reverse
- (1515-47) écu d'or au soleil de Bretagne, Rennes mint
- (1528-40)-♕ demi-teston du Dauphiné, Crémieu mint
- (1528-40)-♕ teston du Dauphiné, Crémieu mint
- Coins and currency dated 1515
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)