France 1633-B ecu d'or
This specimen was lot 1520 in Jean Elsen sale 147 (Brussels, June 2021), where it sold for €700 (about US$1,023 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIII (1610-1643), AV écu d'or au soleil, 1633B, Rouen. D/ Ecu de France couronné, sous un soleil. La légende débutant à 6h. R/ Croix anillée et fleurdelisée. Fines griffes. Très Beau à Superbe. (kingdom of France, Louis XIII, 1610-43, gold écu of the sunburst of 1633, Rouen mint. Obverse: crowned arms of France below a sunburst, legend begins at 6 o'clock; reverse: voided and floriate cross. Fine scratches, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)"
Shown is a écu d'or au soleil (gold écu of the sun) struck at the Rouen mint in the last years before the switch to milled coinage in the 1640's. This type was struck at numerous mints 1611-43, i.e., Louis' entire reign. These coins were struck with the hammer and were supposed to be phased out with the introduction of milled coinage in 1640 but écus d'or are known dated as late as 1654. Gadoury prices this as a common date.
Recorded mintage: unknown but a common date.
Specification: 3.37 g, 0.958 fine gold, plain edge, this specimen 3,31 g.
Catalog reference: Dupl-1282A; Gad-55.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
- 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 147: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.
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