France 1686-9 ecu
This specimen was lot 1617 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €4,000 (about US$5,664 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · FRANKREICH, KÖNIGREICH Louis XIV, 1643-1715. Ecu au buste drapé à l'antique 1686, Münzzeichen "9", Rennes. Selten, besonders in dieser Erhaltung. Leicht justiert, min. Prägeschwäche, vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, écu of the antique draped bust of 1689, Rennes mint. Scarce, especially in this quality, lightly adjusted, slightly weakly struck, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
The numismatics of French coins of the 1670's and 1680's is very confusing. This type was struck 1686-89 in small quantities and was the victim of repeated "reformations," where older écus were called in and restruck. As a result, the type is quite rare today. Droulers[2] notes that some are known with lettered edge, a process being introduced at this time. It was succeeded by the écu aux 8 L of 1690-93.
Recorded mintage: 141,871[2].
Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, some have the edge lettered "DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM".
Catalog reference: KM 255.7, Dav-3809; Duplessy 1506; Gadoury 214, Dr/4 № 500.
- 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.
- [2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
Links:
- 1686-L 1/16 écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL 1/8 écu de Flandre
- 1686-A demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-A demi-écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1686-L demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL écu de Flandre
- 1686-A écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1686-A louis d'or à la perruque
- 1687-D demi-écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1687-L demi-écu de Flandre
- 1687-A écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1687-9 écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- Coins and currency dated 1686
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)