France 1645-D ecu d'or
This specimen was lot 1321 in Jean Elsen sale 165 (Brussels, June 2026), where it sold for €800 (about US$1,102 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AV écu d'or au soleil, 1645 D, Lyon. D/ Écu de France couronné, sous un soleil. R/ Croix anillée et fleurdelisée. Rare. Nettoyé. Trace de monture. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, gold écu of the sunburst of 1645, Lyon mint. Obverse: crowned arms of France below a sunburst; reverse: voided floriate cross. Rare, cleaned, trace of a mount mark, Very Fine.)"
The écu d'or was the standard French gold coin from the time of Francis I until the reign of Louis XIV. It continued to be struck even after the introduction of the louis d'or in 1640. This gold écu was struck at Lyon 1643-45, with the type struck until 1654. It is the last coin struck by the hammer. Gadoury notes it as quite scarce. 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 1645, the écu d'or was worth 104 sols tournois.
Recorded mintage: 3,369.
Specification: 3.38 g, 0.958 fine gold, this specimen 3,26 g.
Catalog reference: KM 146.5, Dr/4 № 340, Dr/2 № 210, Dupl. 1416; Gad-232.
- 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 165, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2026.
Link to:
- 1644-I écu d'or au soleil
- 1645-A quart d'écu à la mèche courte
- 1645-D quart d'écu à la mèche courte
- 1645-F quart d'écu frappe au marteau
- 1645-9 quart d'écu, frappé au marteau
- 1645-A demi-écu à la mèche courte
- 1645-A écu à la mèche courte
- 1645-X écu d'or au soleil
- 1645-A demi-louis d'or à la mèche courte
- 1645-A louis d'or à la mèche courte
- 1646-X écu d'or au soleil, Amiens mint
- Coins and currency dated 1645
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)