France 1672-A ecu
This specimen was lot 1301 in Jean Elsen sale 142 (Brussels, September 2019), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR écu au buste juvénile, 1672A, Paris. 1er type. D/ B. à d., les cheveux longs, l., dr. et cuir., orné d'une dentelle. R/ Ecu de France couronné. Rare Nettoyé. Beau à Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver écu of the juvenile bust of 1672, Paris mint, first type. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored bust right with long hair, reverse: crowned arms of France. Rare, cleaned, Fine - Very Fine.)"
The specimen shown is an écu au buste juvénile struck at the Paris mint during the reign of Louis XIV. 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 tougher dates of the type. Altho the succeeding bust, the écu à la cravate, was introduced in 1672, écus juvéniles are known dated as late as 1680.
Recorded mintage: 109,753[2], plus a few écu à la cravate.
Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver; this specimen 27,09 g.
Catalog reference: Dav-3802, Dr/4 № 444, Dr/2 № 315, Dupl-1483; Gad-205.
- [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.
- 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.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 142, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2019.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
Links to:
- 1671-L écu au buste juvénile
- 1671-9 écu au buste juvénile
- 1672-A demi-écu juvénile
- 1672-9 demi-écu juvénile
- 1672-D louis d'or à la tête nue
- 1672-A louis d'or à la tête nue
- 1673-A écu à la cravate
- 1673-L écu à la cravate
- 1673-9 écu à la cravate
- Coins and currency dated 1672
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)