France 1715-W ecu Dav-1325

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from Heritage sale 61253, lot 99114
H61253-99114r.jpg

This specimen was lot 99114 in Heritage sale 61253 (Dallas, January 2022), where it sold for $6,000. The catalog description[1] noted,

"France: A Highly Rare One-Year Transitional Type. Louis XV Ecu 1715-W VF (Altered Surfaces), Lille mint. An exceedingly scarce single-year transitional issue, bearing the youthful bust of Louis XV and the "three crowns" reverse employed only for this date in the Ecu coinage of his long reign. The reverse motif hails from the reign of Louis XIV, and its introduction on this singular type -- his great-grandson's inaugural issue -- speaks clearly to an element of attempted continuity in the denomination's design, if not a direct effort to tie Louis XV's reign to that of his predecessor. Possessing a glossy finish indicative of polishing or similar treatment, the offering nonetheless appears striking in hand, particularly in light of its rarity, with balanced, deep metallic tone lining the periphery and gradually subsiding toward the young monarch's visage in the center. A lightening of color atop clear devices produces a firm contrast between these and the lower-lying fields, yielding a palpable degree of visual presentation that arguably exceeds the specimen's base condition. A highly elusive opportunity to procure a standout French series rarity -- the first that we have encountered in over a decade."

This extremely rare type was issued only briefly before the introduction of the écu vertugadin. At the time of issue, it had a face value of 5 livres tournois, which rose to 15 livres in July 1720 but was demonetized in September 1720 at a value of 13 livres, 2 sols, 6 deniers.

Recorded mintage: 27,540.

Specification: 30.59 g, 0.917 fine silver, lettered edge, this specimen 41 mm diameter, 29.57 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 812, Dr/2 № 553, KM 412.4, Dav-1325, Dupl-1648, Gad-316 (R4), L4L-404 (R4), Sobin-Unl.

Source:

  • Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
  • Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
  • Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
  • [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, The Brittany Collection of French Coins Showcase Auction #61253, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

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