France 1791-A 1/2 ecu

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from the Mountain Groan Collection
France 1791A demiecu rev DSLR.jpg
Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 71034
SB925-71034r.jpg

This half écu was issued in Paris during the reign of Louis XVI of France. The mintages 1775-1783 are mostly small but 1790-A and 1791-A are the most common dates. This date is known with two privy marks, a heron and a leopard, with the heron variety being slightly more common. The second specimen was lot 71034 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Kingdom. 1/2 Ecu, 1791-A. Paris Mint. Louis XVI. PCGS AU-58. Second semester. Variety with leopard différent and with dot before mintmark. On the precipice of Mint State status, this enticing and highly attractive minor is exceeded in the PCGS census by just one other example. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Boutin in 1955). Ex: Serge Boutin FPL 81 (5/1955) Lot # 189."

Recorded mintage: 772,419 all varieties[1].

Specification: Silver, 0.917 fine, 14.74 g, 30.5 mm diameter.

Design:

  • Obverse: uniformed and peruked bust of Louis XVI facing left, legend LUD XVI D. G. FR. ET NAV. REX. (Louis XVI, by the grace of God, king of France and Navarre).
  • Reverse: oval arms of France, crowned, with olive branches around, legend SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM 1789. Edge engraved, "DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM," Latin for "God save the king." The mintmark ("A" for Paris) is at the bottom, between "DOMINI" and "BENEDICTUM."

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 885, Dr/2 № 618, KM-562.1; Gad-355.

Source:

  • [1]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 2nd édition. Paris: AFPN, 1998.
  • Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
  • Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, including Selections from the Richard Margolis Collection and Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.

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