France 1718-R ecu

photo courtesy Stack's

An écu de France-Navarre of the Orleans mint, struck while Louis XV was a minor. This specimen was lot 460 in Stack's Coin Galleries sale (New York, October 2010), where it sold for $747.50. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE. Louis XV, 1715-1774. Écu de Navarre, 1718 R. Orleans. Large mailed boy’s bust r. Rv. Crowned quartered shield of France and Navarre, Latin Blessed be the Name of the Lord. This scarce two-year type was struck only on newly prepared planchets. It was issued at 6 Livres Tournois though 6.115 grams lighter than earlier Écu coins of this young King as France was swept up in the intoxication of the John Law speculative bubble. Choice About Uncirculated."

Droulers^[2] notes the 1718-D as fairly available but not as common as the type coin, 1718-A. The specimen shown is a "flan neuf." The type was struck 1718-20 in substantial numbers but is not so common as the preceding écu vertugadin.

Recorded mintage: 573,472.

Specification: 24.47 g, 0.917 fine silver, .722 troy oz ASW, 38 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM, designed by Norbert Roëttiers.

Catalog reference: Gad.318, Dr/4 № 816, Dr/2 № 558, Dav-1327, KM 435.18.

Source:

Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
^[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.
Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
^[1]Kraljevich, John, Frank Van Valen and Christine Karstedt, Coin Galleries Mail and Internet Bid Sale, New York: Stack's, 2010.

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France 1718-R ecu

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