France 1774-D ecu
This specimen was lot 42214 in Stack's Bowers Winter sale (Baltimore, November 2015), where it sold for $123.38. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu, 1774-D. Lyon Mint. Louis XV (1715-74). PCGS Genuine--Cleaning, AU Details Secure Holder. Lightly cleaned and now retoning. Adjustment marks evident, but no trace of harsh cleaning. Lots of detail with a great strike, a very presentable example of the issue." The long reign of Louis XV (1715-74) saw many coin types come and go. The first part of the reign, while Louis was a child, was a period of monetary confusion and manipulation. The reforms of Cardinal Fleury (1726) stabilized the fiscal situation until the total collapse at the eve of the Revolution. Numismatically, this period can be divided into three epochs, marked by the écu aux branches d’olivier (1726-40), the écu au bandeau (1740-72) and the écu à la vielle tête (1770-74). This specimen belongs to the late period. This type is notorious for bad strikes and heavy adjustment marks and most survivors have been harshly cleaned. This is a somewhat scarce date.
Recorded mintage: 260,238[2].
Specification: 29.48 g, 0.917 fine silver, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: Dav-1332, KM-551.5, Gad-323; Dr/4 № 821.
- [2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- 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.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, and Todd McKenna, The November 2015 Baltimore Auction, World Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Ray Czabor Collection and selections from the Strong Museum, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2015.
Links to:
- 1773-L écu à la vieille tête
- 1773-D double louis d'or à la vieille tête
- 1773-W double louis d'or à la vieille tête
- 1774-AA sol à la vieille tête
- 1774-BB sol à la vieille tête
- 1774-BB cinquième d'écu à la vieille tête
- 1774-A demi-écu au buste habillé
- 1774-L demi-écu à la vieille tête
- 1774-B écu à la vieille tête
- 1774-L écu à la vieille tête
- 1774-M écu à la vieille tête
- 1774-W écu à la vieille tête
- 1774 écu à la vieille tête du Béarn
- 1774-A écu au buste habillé
- 1774-A louis d'or à la vieille tête, Louis XV
- 1774-A louis d'or aux palmes
- 1774-A louis d'or au buste habillé, Louis XVI
- 1774-& louis d'or au bandeau
- 1774 double louis d'or à la vieille tête du Béarn
- Coins and currency dated 1774
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)