France 1653-S 1/4 ecu

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Jean Elsen sale 165, lot 1324
JE165-1324r.jpg

This specimen was lot 1324 in Jean Elsen sale 165 (Brussels, June 2026), where it sold for €420 (about US$578 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR quart d'écu à la mèche courte, 1653 S, Troyes. D/ B. enfantin, l., dr. et cuir. à d. R/ Écu de France couronné. De la plus haute rareté. très bien conservé/Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver quarter écu of the short lock of 1653, Troyes mint. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored infant bust right; reverse: crowned arms of France. Extremely rare, very good/Fine.)"

Altho quarter écus of Louis XIV are not rare, they were never minted in the numbers of the half écus and full écus. Many dates are very rare. The quart d'écu à la mèche longue was issued 1646-60 while the quart d'écu à la mèche courte ceased in 1645. This example is so worn that it is difficult to ascertain whether it is the mèche courte or the mèche longue variety. The Troyes mint operated 1651-56, then closed until 1690. In the interim, the "S" mintmark was assigned to Reims in 1680, so Troyes was given a crowned "S" mintmark. It proved unsatisfactory, and Troyes switched to a "V" in 1693.

Recorded mintage: 36,593[2].

Specification: 6.86 g, 0.917 fine silver, 27 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Jean Warin or Isaac Briot, this specimen 6,51 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 646, Dr/2 № 304, Dupl. 1463; Gad-139 (high cost, two known); L4L -; Clairand 33113 (R4), KM 162.18.

Sources:

  • [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.
  • 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 165, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2026.

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