France 1667-L ecu
This specimen was lot 1122 in Jean Elsen sale 145 (Brussels, September 2020), where it sold for €320 (about US$456 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR écu au buste juvénile, 1667L, Bayonne. 2e type. D/ B. à d., les cheveux longs, l., dr. et cuir., orné d'une Victoire. R/ Ecu de France couronné. Fines griffes. Beau à Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver écu of the juvenile bust of 1667, Bayonne mint, second type. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored bust right with long hair; reverse: crowned arms of France. Fine scratches, fine to Very Fine.)"
The specimen shown is a écu au buste juvénile struck at the Rennes mint during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Droulers[2] devotes catalog numbers 444 thru 449 to describe the numerous variations of this bust, introduced in 1659 when the king was 21 years old. This issue is one of the available dates of the type but it is priced over triple the écu à la mèche longue. Altho the succeeding bust, the écu à la cravate, was introduced in 1672, écus juvéniles are known dated as late as 1680.
Recorded mintage: 181,525.
Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, 38-41 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Jean Warin, this specimen 26,82 g.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 447, Dr/2 № 324, Dupl-1483; Gad-206, Dav-3802A.
- [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.
- 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.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 145, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2020.
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