France 1568-M ecu d'or
This specimen was lot 33771 in Heritage sale 3076 (Long Beach, CA, September 2019), where it Sold for $360. The catalog description[1] noted, "France: Charles IX (1560-1574) gold Ecu d'Or au Soleil 1568-M AU Details (Cleaned) NGC, Toulouse mint, By Jean Robert (R). (sun) CAROLVS • VIIII • D • G • F • REX • M • D • L • XVIII R, crowned royal shield / +XPS • VINCIT • XPS • REGNAT • XPS • IMPERE R •, cross fleurdelisee with M in center. A very peculiar and seemingly unpublished variety in the legends, the obverse matching a hybrid type recorded by both Ciani and Duplessy. This obverse also matches specimens sold by Jean Vinchon (30 May 2017 Auction, Lot 99) and cgb.fr (Mail Bid Sale 31, Lot 994), though the rendition of the word Imperat on the reverse of this specimen differs. Quite rare as such, and sure to appeal to the completionist collector of French hammered gold." This coin is called the écu d'or au soleil in Duplessy[2] with a face value of fifty sols tournois and is noted with many variations in obverse and reverse legends.
Recorded mintage: 8,444[3].
Specification: 3.37 g, 0.958 fine gold; this specimen 3.34 g.
Catalog reference: Sb 4904, cf. Fr-378 (for type), cf. Ciani-1345 (for obverse), Dupl-1059 (same)/Dup-1057Bvar (for reverse).
- 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.
- [2]Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3076, featuring the Allen Moretti Swiss Collection and the James Mossman Collection of Canadian Coinage, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
- [3]Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
Link to:
- 1567-A écu d'or au soleil, Paris mint
- 1567-B écu d'or au soleil, Rouen mint
- 1567-F écu d'or au soleil
- 1567-H écu d'or au soleil, La Rochelle mint
- 1567-I écu d'or au soleil
- 1567-K écu d'or au soleil
- 1567-M écu d'or au soleil, Toulouse mint
- 1567-N écu d'or au soleil
- 1567-R écu d'or au soleil
- 1567-T écu d'or au soleil, Nantes mint
- 1568-A écu d'or au soleil, Paris mint
- 1568-H écu d'or au soleil, La Rochelle mint
- 1568-K écu d'or au soleil
- 1569-A écu d'or au soleil
- 1569-B écu d'or au soleil, Rouen mint
- 1569-N écu d'or au soleil, Montpellier mint
- 1569-R écu d'or au soleil, Villenueve mint
- Coins and currency dated 1568
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)