France (1540)-L ecu d'or Fr-338
This specimen was lot 20434 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2019), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or, ND (1515-47)-L. Bayonne Mint. Francis I. NGC MS-62. A decently struck piece on a slightly oblong planchet with only minor portions of the legend off the flan from about 1 o'clock to about 3 o'clock on the obverse and corresponding section of the reverse. A bright and lustrous example with attractive golden honey patina throughout." This type, struck at Bayonne, bears the "L" mintmark which would be used at that mint until it closed in the 19th century.
Recorded mintage: est. 17,000.
Specification: 3.44 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen 3.39 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 882. Fr-338, Sb 4860 (15 examples reported).
- 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.
- Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The August 2019 Chicago ANA Auction: World Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
Link to:
- (1519-40) écu d'or au soleil de Bretagne, deuxiéme type
- (1535-40) écu d'or au soleil, Bayonne mint
- (1540-41)-M douzain aux salamandres
- (1540-47)-A teston
- (1540-45)-B teston
- (1540-47)-D teston
- (1540) écu d'or aux salamandres, La Rochelle mint
- (1540)-K écu d'or au soleil à la petite croix
- (1540)-M écu d'or au soleil
- (1541)-D écu d'or à la croisette
- (1541)-B écu d'or à la croisette
- (1541)-L écu d'or à la croisette
- Coins and currency dated 1540
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)