France (1514-15) ecu d'or Fr-329

from the Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale, lot 20173

This specimen was lot 20173 in Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or, ND. Louis XII (1498-1515). NGC EF-40. "écu d'or au porc-épic de Bretagne, deuxiéme type" with six pointed star before DEVS. Fairly well struck on a broad flan with crisp full legends on both sides. Lustrous and attractive." This coin had a face value of 36 sols and 3 deniers tournois. It was struck in the province of Brittany, in the far west of France. It is distinguished from the écu d'or au porc-épic de Bretagne, premiere type (Dupl-657) by the replacement of two crowned "A's" on the reverse with crowned ermines. We surmise this was done when queen Anne died in January 1514, hence our hypothetical date range of 1514-15.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.49 g, .963 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-329; Dupl-658; Ci-913.

Source:

• Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome I, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
• 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]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio, John Kraljevich and Cris Chatigny, The January 2018 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.

Link to:

• (1498) écu d'or au soleil, Lyon mint
• (1498-1507) écu d'or au soleil du Dauphiné
• (1507-15) écu d'or au porc-épic
• (1515-40) hardi
• (1515-17) liard au dauphin
• (1515-40) grand blanc de Bretagne
• (1515) grand blanc à la couronne
• (1515-28) écu d'or au soleil du Dauphiné
• (1515-47) écu d'or au soleil de Bretagne, Rennes mint
• Coins and currency dated 1514
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)