France (1540)-M ecu d'or Fr-338

Sincona sale 46, lot 326

This specimen was lot 326 in Sincona sale 46 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 575 CHF (about US$690 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Frankreich, François I. 1515-1547. Ecu dor au soleil o. J. (14.1.1540), Toulouse. Sehr schön. (kingdom of France, Francis I, 1515-47, undated écu d'or of the sunburst, emission of January 1540, Toulouse mint. Very fine.)"

This type, struck at Toulouse, bears the "M" mintmark which would be used at that mint until it closed in the 19th century.

Recorded mintage: est. 3,389.

Specification: 3.44 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen 3.36 g.

Catalog reference: Duplessy 882. Fr-338, Sb 4680 (11 examples reported).

Source:

• 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]Richter, Jürg, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.

Link to:

• (1519-40) écu d'or au soleil de Bretagne, deuxiéme type
• (1540-41)-M douzain aux salamandres
• France (1540-47)-A 1/2 teston Paris mint
• (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)-L écu d'or au soleil
• (1541)-D écu d'or à la croisette
• (1541)-B écu d'or à la croisette
• Coins and currency dated 1540
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)