France 1657-A ecu
This specimen was lot 1117 in Jean Elsen sale 145 (Brussels, September 2020), where it sold for €290 (about US$413 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR écu du Béarn à la mèche longue, 1657A/M, Morlaàs. D/ B. enfantin, l., dr. et cuir. à d. R/ Ecu couronné, parti de France et Navarre-Béarn. Rare Brisures du coin de droit. Fin de plaque. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver écu of Béarn of the long lock of 1657, Morlaàs mint. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored infant bust right; reverse: crowned arms of France and Navarre-Bearn. Rare, obverse die breaks, edge bumps, Very Fine.)"
The specimen shown is an écu du Béarn à la mèche longue struck in Morlaàs during the reign of Louis XIV. This coin is a typical product of this mint in Béarn, where crude diework and bad strikes predominated. The reverse shows the arms of France impaled with the arms of Navarre and Béarn. Morlaàs struck this type 1652-62; the "A" is not a mintmark but the initial of the mintmaster. Droulers[2] prices this date about three times a typical écu à la mèche longue, which was not in production after 1654. The SCWC incorrectly attributes this issue to the Pau mint, while the concurrent Pau issue is incorrectly attributed to Toulouse.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, 39-41 mm diameter, plain edge, engraved by J. Warin, this specimen 26,42 g.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 443, Dr/2 № 300, KM 181.1, Dav-3801, Dupl-1477; Gad-204.
- [2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 2nd édition. Paris: AFPN, 1998.
- 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.
- 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, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed. London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 145, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2020.
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