France 1776-& 2 louis d'or
This specimen was lot 23548 in Heritage sale 3030 (New York, January 2014), where it sold for $3,055. The catalog description[1] noted, "Louis XVI gold 2 Louis d'Or 1776-&, Aix mint, UNC Details (Rim Filing) NGC, a sharply struck coin with exceptional bust details. The rim shows some natural adjustment marks above the King's bust and possible tooling at the corresponding area on the reverse. Very scarce type and grade." The double louis of Louis XVI continued to be struck to the standard of 1726 but the price of gold had risen, making the type uneconomical to issue. In 1785, French minister Calonne lowered the weight to 15.30 grams and recoined all the stocks in government hands, rendering this earlier type very rare.
Recorded mintage: 28,505.
Specification: 16.31 g, 0.917 fine gold, reeded edge, 28-29 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 875, Dr/2 № 601, KM 575.15.
- 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.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3030, featuring the RLM Collection, the Isaac Rudman Collection, the Hans Cook Collection and the Collection of Donald E. Bently, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2013.
Link to:
- 1768-R double louis d'or au bandeau
- 1773-W double louis d'or à la vieille tête
- 1775-I double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1776-A dixième d'écu au buste habillé
- 1776-I écu au buste habillé
- 1776-L écu au buste habillé
- 1776-R écu au buste habillé
- 1776-W écu au buste habillé
- 1776-A louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1776-K double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1776-W double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1777-I double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1777-K double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1777-T double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1777-W double louis d'or au buste habillé
- 1777-& double louis d`or au buste habillé
- Coins and currency dated 1776
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793).