View source for France 1613-A 1/2 ecu d'or

[[Image:France JE140-695.jpg|550px|thumb|Jean Elsen sale 140, lot 695]]

This specimen was lot 695 in Jean Elsen sale 140 (Brussels, March 2019), where it did not sell. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"''FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIII (1610-1643), AV demi-écu d'or au soleil, 1613A, Paris. Frappé au marteau. D/ Ecu de France couronné, sous un soleil. R/ Croix anillée et fleurdelisée. Très rare Flan légèrement bosselé. Petits coups. Très Beau.'' (kingdom of [[France]], Louis XIII, 1610-43, gold half écu of the sunburst of 1613, Paris mint, struck by the hammer. Obverse: crowned arms of France, under a sunburst; reverse: floriate and voided cross. Very rare, slightly wrinkled, minor nicks, Very Fine.)"</blockquote> This type was struck at numerous mints 1611-43, i.e., Louis' entire reign. The Paris mint seems to have been the most prolific issuer as its products are priced lower than other mints. These coins were struck with the hammer and were supposed to be phased out with the introduction of milled coinage in 1640 but ''demi-écus d'or'' are known dated as late as 1654. 

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 1.68 g, .958 fine gold, this specimen 1,67 g.

''Catalog reference:'' Dupl-1283C; Gad-53; Laf. 1061, KM 40.1, Dr/4 № 7.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* 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 Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd.,'' Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
* Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
* 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.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Elsen, Philippe, et al., ''Vente Publique 140,'' Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2019.

''Link to:''
* [[France 1612-StP 1/4 ecu|1612 ''quart d'écu de Navarre'']]
* [[France 1613-A double tournois|1613-A ''double tournois au grand buste enfantin'']]
* [[France 1615-C 1/2 franc|1615-C ''demi-franc'']]
* [[France 1629-D 1/2 ecu d'or|1629-D ''demi-écu d'or au soleil'', Lyon mint]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1613]]
* return to [[French royal coinage (to 1793)]]

[[Category:Gold coins of France]][[Category:Selections from Jean Elsen sale 140]]