France 1666-A 1/4 ecu
This specimen was lot 1250 in Jean Elsen sale 141 (Brussels, June 2019), where it sold for €240 (about US$318 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR quart d'écu au buste juvénile, 1666A, Paris. D/ B. à d., les cheveux longs, l., dr. et cuir. R/ Ecu de France couronné. Très rare Nettoyé. Fines griffes. Très Beau à Superbe. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver quarter écu of the juvenile bust of 1666, Paris mint. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored bust right with long hair; reverse: crowned arms of France. Very rare, cleaned, fine scratches, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)"
The quart d'écu au buste juvénile was struck 1663-74. There is so much variation from mint to mint that Droulers has a subtype for each mint. Despite the substantial mintage noted below, this is a very rare type.
Recorded mintage: 315,999.
Specification: 6.86 g, 0.917 fine silver, 27 mm diameter, plain edge, engraved by Jean Warin, this specimen 6,69 g.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 649, Dr/2 № 317, KM 213.1, Dupl-1485; Gad-143.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
- 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 141, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2019.
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