France 1575-B ecu d'or
This specimen was lot 42216 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $1,440. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or au Soleil, 1575-B. Rouen Mint. Henri III. NGC Unc Details--Obverse Improperly Cleaned. Though some scattered cleaning marks as noted are observed, this glistening example offers intense brilliance and a solid strike paired with essentially no evidence of circulation." 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. Henry had accepted the throne of Poland and had freshly arrived in Warsaw when he learned of the death of his brother, Charles IX. He immediately abandoned Poland and rode the fastest horses back to Paris. Sombart[3] reports one known of this date and none for Charles IX.
Recorded mintage: 9,300 including some struck for Charles IX[3].
Specification: 3.37 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen 3.31 g.
Catalog reference: Sb 4932, Fr-386; Dup-1121A.
- [2]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.
- [3]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, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
Link to: