France 1626-A ecu d'or
This specimen was lot 1281 in Jean Elsen sale 142 (Brussels, September 2019), where it sold for €480 (about US$623 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIII (1610-1643), AV écu d'or au soleil, 1626A, Paris. D/ Ecu de France couronné, sous un soleil. La légende débutant à 12h. R/ Croix anillée et fleurdelisée. Nettoyé. Petits coups. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIII, 1610-43, gold écu of the sunburst of 1626, Paris mint. Obverse: crowned arms of France under a sunburst, legend begins at the top; reverse: voided floriate cross. Cleaned, minor nicks, Very Fine.)"
This type was struck 1611-44 and was the standard gold coin of France prior to the introduction of the milled louis d'or in 1641. This date is unlisted in Droulers but is noted in Gadoury (R). This type was originally worth fifty sols tournois in the sixteenth century, the inflation brought on by the Wars of Religion caused its value to steadily increase. At the time of issue in 1626, the écu d'or was worth 75 sols tournois. By 1636, it had risen to 104 sols tournois.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.37 g, 0.958 fine gold, 23-26 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 1, Dupl-1282; Gad-55, KM 51.
- [2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 142, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2019.
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