France 1653-I ecu

Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 74680

This specimen was lot 74680 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $480. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu, 1653-I. Limoges Mint. Louis XIV. PCGS AU-55." This type was issued in large numbers 1646-54. This specimen is a product of the Limoges mint. Despite the tiny reported mintage, this is a fairly common date. Either there is a misprint in the catalog or the mint records were fraudulent, a frequent occurrence during the Fronde.

Recorded mintage: 2,508^[2].

Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine, plain edge, 38-41 mm diameter, plain edge.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 441, Dav-3799; KM-155.8; Gad-202.

Sources:

Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
^[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.
George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
^[1]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.

Link to:

France 1653-I ecu

Navigation menu

Search