France (1519) ecu d'or Fr-338
The first specimen was lot 904 in Jean Elsen sale 124 (Brussels, March 2015), where it sold for €340 (about US$424 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, François Ier (1515-1547), AV écu d'or au soleil, 3e émission (juillet 1519), point 18e, Paris. 5e type. Droit: Ecu de France couronné sous un soleil. Revers: Croix fleurdelisée portant un quadrilobe en coeur, cantonnée de deux F et de deux lis. Nettoyé. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, François I (1515-47), gold écu of the sun, third issue (July 1519), Paris mint, fifth type. Obverse: crowned arms of France under a sun; reverse: floriated cross with quadrilobe at the center, with two "F's" and two lilies in the fields. Cleaned, very fine.)
The second specimen was lot 1307 in Jean Elsen sale 127 (Brussels, December 2015), where it sold for €1,600 (about US$2,054 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, François Ier (1515-1547), AV écu d'or au soleil, 3e émission (juillet 1519), Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Avec PV en fin de légende (Pierre Coulon, 1536-1538). D/ Ecu de France couronné sous un soleil. R/ Croix fleurdelisée portant un quadrilobe en coeur, cantonnée de deux F et de deux lis. Rare. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Francis I, 1515-47, gold écu d'or of the sunburst, third issue (July 1519), Villefranche-de-Rouergue mint, with 'PV" at the end of the legend. Obverse: crowned arms of France below a sunburst; reverse: floriate cross with quadrilobe at center, "F's" and lilies in the fields. Rare, very fine.)"
This coin represents the transition from medieval coinage to that of the Renaissance, which adopted royal portraits and large modules. Prior to the reform of 1540, mints were indicated by the location the pellet on the obverse beaded circle. The dot on the first specimen, in eighteenth position, denotes Paris, which would use the "A" mintmark after 1540. It had a face value of forty sols tournois. These écus d'or were issued in many varieties during François' reign and all the way until Louis XIV.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.44 g, 0.958 fine gold, the first specimen 3,39 g, the second specimen 3,35 g.
Catalog reference: Dupl-775; Ci-1073; Laf-639, Fr-338.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 124, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2015.
- [2]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 127, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2015.
Link to:
- France (1512)-Lyon demi-gros
- (1519) demi-écu d'or au soleil, Toulouse mint
- (1519) écu d'or au soleil, Paris mint, two crowned "F's" and two coronets
- (1519) écu d'or au soleil, Lyon mint
- (1519) écu d'or au soleil, Toulouse mint
- (1519)-B écu d'or au soleil, Bayonne mint
- (1519-28) écu d'or du Dauphine
- (1519-40) écu d'or au soleil de Bretagne
- France 1550-A gros
- Coins and currency dated 1519
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)