View source for Lorraine 1725 thaler Dav-2389

[[Image:Lorraine JE135-816.jpg|550px|thumb|Jean Elsen sale 135, lot 816]]
[[Image:Lorraine S47-1748.jpg|550px|thumb|Sincona sale 47, lot 1748]]

The first specimen was lot 816 in Jean Elsen sale 135 (Brussels, December 2017), where it sold for €440 (about US$610 including buyer's fees). The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"''FRANCE, LORRAINE, Léopold Ier (1690-1729), AR Léopold d'argent (écu, dit "Aubonne"), 1725. D/ B. nu à d., coiffé d'une longue perruque. R/ Ecu couronné. Petits coups et défauts de flan. Le droit repoli. Très Beau.'' (France, duchy of Lorraine, Leopold I, 1690-1729, silver leopold or écu of 1725. Obverse: bewigged bare bust to right; reverse: crowned arms. Small nicks and scratches, obverse polished, very fine.)"</blockquote> The second specimen was lot 1748 in Sincona sale 47 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 550 CHF (about US$660 including buyer's fees). The catalog description<sup>[2]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"''FRANCE, Lothringen, Herzogtum, Leopold I. 1690-1729. Léopold dargent 1725, Nancy. Flon 917,147. Fast vorzüglich. Hübsche Patina.'' (duchy of Lorraine, Leopold I, 1690-1729, silver leopold of 1725, Nancy mint. About extremely fine, Attractive patina.)"</blockquote> Lorraine in the early eighteenth century was in the borderlands between France and Germany and was contested between them. In 1725, she was still part of the Empire but the duke was a French client. His son, Francis III (1729-37) married Maria Theresia of [[Austria]] and was forced to trade Lorraine for Tuscany. Lorraine went to Stanislaus Leszczynski, erstwhile king of [[Poland]] and father-in-law of Louis XV. On his death in 1766, Lorraine passed to [[France]]. This coin is catalogued by Elsen as a half écu and by Davenport as a thaler but is neither, weighing about three-fourths of an écu or thaler. It is rare.

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 20 g, silver; the first specimen 20,16 g, the second specimen 20.23 g.

''Catalog reference:'' Flon 923, 147; Saulcy XXXII, 5; coll. Robert 1599, 153, KM 108, [[Silver crowns by Davenport number|Dav-2389]].

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* <sup>[1]</sup>Elsen, Philippe, ''Vente publique 135,'' Brussels: Jean Elsen, 2017.
* <sup>[2]</sup>Richter, Jürg, ''Auction 47, World Coins and Medals, Coins and Medals from Switzerland,'' Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018
* Michael, Thomas, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
* Davenport, John S., ''German Talers, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed.,'' London: Spink & Son, 1965. 

''Link to:''
* [[Lorraine 1724 thaler Dav-2389|1724 thaler]]
* [[Lorraine 1724 leopold d'or Fr-160a]]
* [[Lorraine 1726 thaler Dav-2390|1726 thaler]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1725]]
* return to [[French royal coinage (to 1793)]]

[[Category:Selections from Jean Elsen sale 135]][[Category: European crowns and thalers]][[Category:Selections from Sincona sale 46, 47]]