France 1729-Y 1/2 ecu
This specimen was lot 286 in Classical Numismatic Group's sale of the Lissner Collection (Chicago, August 2014), where it sold for $1,028.50. The catalog description[2] noted, "FRANCE, Royal. Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (the Well-Beloved). 1715–1774. AR Demi-écu aux rameaux d’olivier. Bourges mint; différents: duck/crescent. Pierre Boucault, engraver. Hugues Saillard, director. Dated 1729 Y. In NGC encapsulation graded MS 64. Choice lustrous brilliant uncirculated with light violet and blue iridescence. A fantastic coin. Only the second specimen to reach MS 64 with none graded higher, the other also in this sale. Rarity 3 in Gadoury. Purchased from Randolph Zander, April 1972." This coin is an demi-écu aux branches d'olivier from the Bourges mint. The issues of this mint are generally rare; surprisingly, Droulers reports every date of 1726-40 except 1736. The Bourges mint closed permanently in 1771. This coin was part of the great coinage reform of Cardinal Fleury which finally terminated the manipulations which had disrupted the economy since the 1690's.
Recorded mintage: est. 67,529[1].
Specification: 14.74 g, 0.917 fine silver, 31-33 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM. This specimen 33 mm diameter, 14.74 g, 6h axis.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 827, Dr/2 № 580, Duplessy 1676; Ciani 2118; KM 428.23.
- [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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
- [2]Teller, M. Louis, and Victor England, Jr., The Richard Lissner Collection, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2014.
Links to:
- 1728-D demi-écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-W vingtième d'écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-9 vingtième d'écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-ϽC dixième d'écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-A cinquième d'ecu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-W demi-écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-X demi-écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-A écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-AA écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-D écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-W écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-& écu aux branches d'olivier
- 1729-ϽC demi-louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-L demi-louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-A louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-AA louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-I louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-K louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-M louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-Q louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-T louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1729-& louis d'or aux lunettes
- 1735-T demi-écu aux branches d'olivier
- Coins and currency dated 1729
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)