France 1602-Mor 1/4 ecu

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Jean Elsen sale 127, lot 1336

This specimen was lot 1336 in Jean Elsen sale 127 (Brussels, December 2015), where it sold for €280 (about US$359 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Henri IV (1589-1610), AR quart d'écu du Béarn, 1602, Morlaàs. Frappé au marteau. D/ Croix fleurdelisée. R/ Ecu couronné, parti de France et Navarre-Béarn, accosté de II-II. Belle patine. Rare dans cette qualité. Superbe. (kingdom of France, Henry IV, 1589-1610, silver quarter écu of Béarn of 1602, Morlaàs mint, struck by the hammer. Obverse: floriate cross; reverse: crowned arms of France and Navarre-Béarn divide "IIII". Nice toning, rare in this quality, extremely fine.)"

This specimen was struck by the hammer at Morlaàs in Bearn during the reign of Henry IV, founder of the Bourbon dynasty (1589-1793). Once the silver franc was withdrawn in 1586, this was the largest silver coin regularly struck in France prior to the introduction of milled coinage in the 1640's.

Recorded mintage: unknown but an uncommon date.

Specification: 9.71 g, 0.917 fine silver, this specimen 9,48 g.

Catalog reference: Sb 4706, Dupl-1240; Ci. 1520; Laf. 1099.

Source:

  • Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
  • Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
  • Roberts, James N., The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD), S. Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1996.
  • Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
  • [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 127, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2015.

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