France 1692-M louis d'or
This specimen was lot 1058 in Goldberg's NY International sale 58 (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $8,700. The catalog description[1] noted, "France. Louis XIV (1643-1715). Gold Louis d'or a l ecu, 1692-M. Toulouse mint. Laureate head right with large wig. Rev. Crowned shield of France. Struck over earlier type. Original full mint brilliance. Rare grade. Pop 1; Finest Example at both PCGS and NGC. In NGC holder graded MS 65." This louis d'or à l'écu was struck 1690-93. This type is usually found struck over older coins, a process involving all silver and gold coinage during 1690-1709. These "reformations" were the result of financial manipulations too tedious to discuss here. The louis d'or à l'écu was succeeded by the louis d'or aux 4 L struck 1693-1700. Both these types are the first somewhat common gold coins since the 1640's but all are expensive relative to the silver écus. In 1692, both Toulouse (mintmark "M") and Metz (mintmark crowned "M") struck louis d'or. After 1693, the Metz mint was assigned mintmark "AA" to prevent confusion.
Recorded mintage: unknown but all rf[2].
Specification: 6.75 g, 0.917 fine gold, reeded edge, 24-26 mm diameter, designed by Joseph Roëttiers.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 406, Dr/2 № 258, Dupl-1435A, Fr-429; Gad-250; KM 278.10, date unlisted.
- [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.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- 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.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Stephen Harvey and Vera Kan, Goldberg NY International 2023 Sale, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2022.
Links to:
- 1692-A 4 sols aux deux L
- 1692-P 4 sols aux deux L
- 1692-9 4 sols aux deux L
- 1692-H quart d'écu aux palmes
- 1692-9 écu aux huit L
- 1692-P demi-écu aux 8 L
- 1692-K écu aux 8 L
- 1692-P écu aux 8 L
- 1692-A demi-louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-G demi-louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-A louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-D louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-H louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-K louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-L louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-Ḿ louis d'or à l'écu, Metz mint
- 1692-Š louis d'or à l'écu, Troyes mint
- 1692-A double louis d'or à l'écu
- 1692-Ḿ double louis d'or à l'écu, Metz mint
- 1693-D louis d'or à l'écu
- Coins and currency dated 1692
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)