France 1737-M louis d'or

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Heritage sale 3024, lot 23824
from Heritage Auction Galleries

This specimen was lot 23824 in Heritage sale 3024 (Chicago, April 2013), where it sold for $3,818.75. The catalog description[1] noted,

"Louis XV gold Louis d'Or aux lunette 1737-M, KM489.13 (unlisted date), Gadoury-340 (listed, but unpriced), Bust left/Crown over arms of France and Navarre, with date and mintmark, MS63 NGC. Fully lustrous with a softly struck reverse. A previously unknown issue with research from noted French Numismatic scholar Amaud Clairand (and English translation by Marc Emory) as follows, "Marc Emory (Heritage, Dallas), a eu la gentillesse de nous signaler un louis d'or dit « aux lunettes » frappé en 1737 à Toulouse (M). D'après les différentes éditions du Répertoire de Frédéric Droulers, ce louis aurait été frappé à 15192 exemplaires, mais n'aurait pas été retrouvé à ce jour. Les registres des délivrances ne sont pas conservés pour les espèces frappées à Toulouse en 1737. D'après la côte Archives nationales Z1b 779, 33 louis ont été mis en boîte ; ce chiffre a été également été publié en 1996 (A. Clairand, Monnaies de Louis XV, Le temps de la stabilité monétaire, 1726-1774, p. 80). Les règles d'emboîtage prévoyaient alors une pièce d'or en boîte pour 400 produites (cf. A. Clairand, op. cit., p. 60), nous pouvons ainsi estimer le nombre de louis frappés à 13200 exemplaires. Le registre conservé anciennement dans les Archives de la Monnaie de Paris dans le carton A3, dossier 19, nous donne toutefois une indication plus précise sur la quantité frappée, le poids d'or monnayé. Il fut de 506 "marcs" 3 onces 4 deniers 17 grains (123,942 kg d'or) correspondant à une frappe de 15192 exemplaires, chiffre conforme à celui de Frédéric Droulers."

The translation reads as follows: "Marc Emory (Heritage, Dallas), was kind enough to inform us of a Louis d'or, «aux lunettes» type, struck in 1737 at Toulouose (M). According to various editions of the Répertoire, by Frédéric Droulers, this Louis d'or would have been struck with a mintage of 15,192 pieces, but not one specimen has been seen to this day. The delivery registries for legal tender struck in 1737 at Touolouse were not preserved. From the National Archives, file Z1b 779, 33 Louis d'or were put in boxes, and this statistic was published as well in 1996 (A. Clairand, Monnaies de Louis XV, Le temps de la stabilité monétaire, 1726-1774, page 80). The rules of packaging called for one piece to go into a box for every 400 pieces coined (cf. A. Clairand, op. cit., p. 60), so we can therefore estimate the number of coins struck to be at 13,200 pieces. The register formerly conserved in the archives of the Paris Mint in carton A3, dossier 19, does, however, gives us a more precise indication of the quantity of coins struck: the weight of gold coined. It was given as "506 marcs," 3 ounces, 4 deniers and 17 grains (132.942 kilograms of gold), corresponding to a mintage of 15,192 examples, a figure which is in agreement with that of Frédéric Droulers."

This issue seems to have been minted in substantial quantities, but as Droulers stated, not one piece has been seen. None have been auctioned, no prices are listed in any catalog, and this appears to be the only known example."

This type is recorded for 1726-40 and is among the more common gold coins of the French ancien régime, this date from Toulouse (mintmark "M") is not priced in Droulers[1].

Recorded mintage: 15,192[1].

Specification: 8.16 g, 0.917 fine gold, 22-23 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Norbert Roëttiers.

Catalog reference: KM 489.13, Dr/4 № 800, Dr/2 № 540, Gad-340.

Source:

  • [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.
  • 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.
  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • [2]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3024, featuring the Kairos and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collections, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2013.

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