France 1792-BB ecu

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Sincona sale 63. lot 854

This specimen was lot 854 in Sincona sale 63 (Zürich, June 2020), where it sold for 2,250 CHF (about US$2,819 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"Frankreich, konigreich, Constitution, 1791-1793. Ecu de 6 livres 1792 / AN 4 BB, Strasbourg. 2e semestre. Äusserst selten. Fast sehr schön. Berieben. (kingdom of France, constitutional period, écu of six livres of 1792, Strasbourg mint. Extremely rare, About very fine, Slightly polished.)"

This specimen is a "constitutional écu" struck at the Strasbourg mint, one of a type struck there 1792-93, prior to the trial and execution of the king. Its divisions were the ½, 1/4 and 1/8 écu, struck in billon. The écu was worth $1.10 in the USA before the Civil War. The 1792-A and 1793-A are the most available dates of this scarce type. This rare date has "FRANÇAIS" instead of the usual "FRANÇOIS".

Recorded mintage: unknown but very rare.

Specification: 29.48 g, 0.917 fine silver, 39 mm diameter, lettered edge; this specimen 28.99 g.

Catalog reference: Dav-1335A; Gad-54.

Sources:

  • Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
  • 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.
  • Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
  • [1]Richter, Jürg, Sincona sale 63: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2020.

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