France 1784-B ecu
This specimen was lot 39123 in Stack's Bowers Winter sale (Baltimore, November 2015), where it sold for $1,057.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu, 1784-B. Rouen Mint. NGC AU-55. RARE. The only example seen so far by the grading services, and with a mintage of 13,000 it is perhaps the only example they will ever see. Both Gadoury and Krause list the coin without prices, indicating no transactions with which to base an estimate. Light to medium tone evenly disbursed which accentuates the devices nicely." This specimen is an écu au buste habillé struck at the Rouen mint, one of a type struck there 1775-91. Its divisions were the ½, 1/5, 1/10 and 1/20 écu, struck in modest quantities. The écu was worth $1.10 in the USA before the Civil War. The écu au buste habillé is the most popular coin of Louis XVI among collectors. This is a rare date.
Recorded mintage: 13,276.
Specification: silver, 11 deniers (.917 fine), 8.3 pieces to the mark (29.488 g), face value 6 livres, 39 mm diameter. Engraved by Benjamin Duvivier.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 883, Dr/2 № 616, Dav-1333; KM-564.3; Gad-356.
- 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:
- 1784-A dixième d'écu au buste habillé
- 1784-AA dixième d'écu au buste habillé
- 1784-A cinquième d'écu au buste habillé
- 1784-R cinquième d'écu au buste habillé
- 1784-A demi écu au buste habillé
- 1784-A écu au buste habillé
- 1784-I écu au buste habillé
- 1784-L écu au buste habillé
- 1784-M écu au buste habillé
- 1784-R écu au buste habillé
- 1784 écu au buste habillé du Béarn
- 1784-A demi-louis d'or au buste habillé
- Coins and currency dated 1784
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)