France 1786-AA louis d'or

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Jean Elsen sale 146, lot 216

This specimen was lot 216 in Jean Elsen sale 146 (Brussels, November 2020), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XVI (1774-1793), AV louis d'or à la tête nue, 1786AA, Metz. D/ T. nue à g., les cheveux longs. Différent: grenade (Jean-François Leclerc). R/ Ecus accolés de France et de Navarre sous une couronne. Différent: moucheture d'hermine (Charles-Augustin Pantaléon). Gradé PCGS AU58+. Superbe. (kingdom of France, Louis XVI, 1774-93, gold louis of the bare head of 1786, Metz mint. Obverse: bare head left with long hair, privy mark pomegranate; reverse: conjoined arms of France and Navarre below a crown, privy mark ermine. Extremely Fine.)"

The years 1786-87 are common as the mints melted down and reminted old tenor gold, but the later dates (1788-92) are much scarcer. This date is priced about 10% higher than the common date (1787-A). The Metz mint produced this type for 1785-88. One variety of the 1786-BB, called à la corne, appears to place cuckold's horns on the bust of the king. Numismatists have argued for over a century whether this anomaly was just a die break or a deliberate act of lesé majesté.

Specification: 7.65 g, 0.917 fine gold, 22-23 mm diameter, designed by Benjamin Duvivier.

Recorded mintage: 597,170[1].

Catalog reference: Fr-476, Dr/4 № 881, Dr/2 № 605, Dupl-1707; Gad-361; L4L 539.

Source:

  • [2]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.
  • 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.
  • [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 146: Collection Anthony Lorrain Monnaies de Metz, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2020.

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