France 1793-BB ecu

Stack's Bowers 2022 ANA sale, lot 30377

This specimen was lot 30377 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $13,800. The catalog description^[1] noted, "The Final Crown of Louis XVI, FRANCE. Ecu, 1793-BB Year 5. Strasbourg Mint. Louis XVI (in name only). PCGS MS-63. First semester (no dot) issue. VERY RARELY encountered so attractive and unhandled, this specimen is made even more desirable on account of its alluring toning, fairly sharp strike, and lack of adjustment marks--an aspect that commonly plagues the issue. Undoubtedly worthy of a strong bid and increased focus and attention. Unrivaled, this choice crown--in addition to being from the final year in the reign of Louis XVI--stands as the only such example of the date and mint seen at PCGS." 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.

Specification: 29.48 g, 0.917 fine silver, 39 mm diameter, lettered edge.

Catalog reference: KM-616, Dav-1335A; Gad-54.

Source:

^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
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.
George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.

Link to:

France 1793-BB ecu

Navigation menu

Search