France 1597-L 1/4 ecu
This specimen was lot 72176 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Santa Ana, CA, May 2017), where it sold for $423. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 1/4 Ecu, 1597-L. Henry IV (1589-1610). NGC MS-64. Good strike with full legends on both sides. Attractive even toning with iridescent highlights. A truly exceptional example of this issue." This specimen was struck by the hammer at Bayonne during the reign of Henry IV, founder of the Bourbon dynasty (1589-1793). This was the largest silver coin regularly struck in France prior to the introduction of milled coinage in the 1640's. It had a face value of fifteen sols tournois.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 9.71 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 1224, Sb-4686.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
- Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- [1]Ponterio, Rick, et al., The May 2017 Collector's Choice Sale, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
Link to:
- 1596-L quart d'écu au marteau
- 1596 quart d'écu du Béarn, Morlaàs mint
- 1597-X demi-franc
- Bouillon and Sedan 1597 1/4 ecu
- 1597 quart d'écu du Béarn, Morlaàs mint
- 1598 quart d'écu de Navarre, St. Palais mint
- 1599-L quart d'écu au marteau
- Coins and currency dated 1597
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)