France 1686-A ecu
This specimen was lot 20828 in Heritage sale 3004 (New York, January 2009), where it sold for $5,175. The catalog description[1] noted, "Louis XIIII Ecu 1686A, AU58 NGC. Paris mint. Ecu Blanc-Small Bust/Milled Edge (1685-1689). The first use of the Castaing machine to produce a milled lettered edge in relief was utilized in the coinage of this type. The type comes both ways, with, and without a milled edge. The first milled edges were applied in Paris May 1685. A very pleasing example of one of the rarest Ancient Regime regular mint types. From the Grundy Collection." This type is listed in Gadoury as the écu à la perruque ("écu of the wig") and in Droulers as the écu drapé à l'antique. Struck 1684-89 from only a few mints and nearly completely restruck in the ensuing reformations, this is one of the rarest of French coin types. Half écus (Gad-181) also exist but are even rarer.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, edge lettered "DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM"; this specimen 27.31 g.
Catalog reference: Dav-3809, Gad-214, Dr/4 № 500, Dr/2 № 390B, KM 255.1.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
- [1]Tucker, Warren, and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3004: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2008.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
Link to:
- 1680-9 écu à la cravate
- 1686-A demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-A demi-écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1686-L 1/16 écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL 1/8 écu de Flandre
- 1686-L demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL demi-écu de Flandre
- 1686-LL écu de Flandre
- 1686-9 écu au buste drapé à l'antique
- 1686-A louis d'or à la perruque
- 1687-A écu à la perruque
- 1687-9 écu à la perruque
- Coins and currency dated 1686
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)