Navarre 1564 ecu d'or Fr-183
This specimen was lot 1079 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €9,500 (about US$13,452 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · FRANKREICH/FEODALES, NAVARRA Jeanne d' Albret, 1562-1572. Ecu d'or au soleil 1564. * IOANA · DEI · G · REG · NAVAR · D · B · Aus acht "S" geformtes Kreuz, an den Enden je eine Lilie, in den Ecken abwechselnd "I" und Krone, in der Mitte Sonne//· * · G + DEI · SVM · ID · QVOD · SVM · 1564 · Gekröntes Wappen, zu den Seiten je ein gekröntes "I". GOLD. Von großer Seltenheit, besonders in dieser Erhaltung. Sehr attraktives Exemplar mit hübschem Prägeglanz, leichte Prägeschwäche, vorzüglich. (kingdom of France, Jeanne d' Albret, 1562-1572. gold écu of the sunburst of 1564. Obverse: eight "S's" formed in a cross with a fleur-de-lys at the end of each arm, cantonned with two coronets and two "I's", a sunburst at the center; reverse: Crowned arms between two crowned "I's". Extremely rare in this condition, very attractive example with superb luster, slightly weakly struck, extremely fine.)"
Jeanne d' Albret was queen of Navarre who converted to Calvinism in 1560 and supported the Hugenot cause in Southern France. Her son Henry eventually became Henry IV of France (r. 1589-1610) and united the two kingdoms. This type was struck 1561, 1564-65 along with a half écu d'or (Fr-183a).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specifications: 3.32-3.34 g, gold, this specimen 3,32 g.
Catalog reference: Duplessy 1303; Fr-183.
- 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]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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