France 1642-A 1/12 ecu

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from the Stack's Bowers 2017 Collector's Choice sale, lot 72180
dot on reverse
from the Mountain Groan Collection
rose on reverse
Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 74663
rose on reverse

The first specimen was lot 72180 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Santa Ana, CA, May 2017), where it sold for $352.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 1/12 Ecu, 1642-A. Louis XIII (1610-43). NGC AU-55. Point. Sharply struck with light toning and good underlying luster." This specimen is a douziéme d'écu (1/12 écu) struck in Paris at the end of the reign of Louis XIII (r. 1610-43). It is a product of a major reform of French coinage which attempted to abolish hammered coinage once and for all. In this the regime was not successful, but large quantities of these handsome coins were released 1641-43 and the type is reasonably available today. The issues of 1642 come with either a draped bust of the king (shown here) or a draped and armored bust. All are Paris mint except for a small issue from Lyon in 1643. The third specimen was lot 74663 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[2] noted, "FRANCE. 1/12 Ecu, 1642-A. Paris Mint. Louis XIII. PCGS AU-55. Variety with rose. From the Richard August Collection." The last hammered quarter écu listed is dated 1652.

Recorded mintage: 107,069 (draped bust, shown here) plus 570,858 (draped and armored bust, point on reverse) plus 1,336,339 (draped and armored bust, rose and star after REX).

Specification: 2.28 g, 0.917 fine silver, 20 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Jean Warin and Isaac Briot.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 129 (draped bust); Dr/4 № 130 (draped and armored bust), KM-132.1; Gad-46.

Source:

  • 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.
  • [1]Ponterio, Rick, et al., The May 2017 Collector's Choice Sale, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
  • [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, including Selections from the Richard Margolis Collection and Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.

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