France (1385) ecu d'or Fr-291

from the Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale, lot 20158

from the Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale, lot 22474

the dot under the fourth letter indicates Montpellier mint

The first specimen was lot 20158 in Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it sold for $1,560. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or a La Couronne, ND (1st emission, 11 March 1385). Charles VI (1380-1422). NGC MS-64. Bold strike on a nice round flan displaying full legends and rims on both sides. Light orange peel toning over soft satin luster and quite a superior example." The second specimen was lot 22474 in Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or, ND. Charles VI (1380-1422). NGC MS-63. Nice strike with full legends on both sides. Soft satin luster and quite attractive." This écu d'or à la couronne replaced the franc à cheval of the previous reign and was initially valued at 22 sols, 6 deniers tournois, which was raised to 30 sols in 1419 and 40 sols in 1420 then back to 22 sol, 6 deniers later that year. The écu d'or would remain the primary French gold coin thru the reign of Louis XIII but would never remain stable either in weight or in value. The manipulations of Charles VI are recorded as follows:

• 1st emission (shown here): 4.07 g, 1.000 fine gold;
• 2nd emission (February 1388): 3.99 g, 1.000 fine gold;
• 3rd emission (September 1389): same as the second;
• 4th emission (July 1394): 3.94 g, 1.000 fine gold;
• 5th emission (November 1411): 3.82 g, 1.000 fine gold;
• 6th emission (March 1419): 3.82 g, 0.958 fine gold;
• 7th emission (February 1420): 3.65 g, 0.958 fine gold;
• 8th emission (December 1420): 3.70 g, 1.000 fine gold.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 1.000 fine gold, 4.07 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-291; Dupl-369; Ciani-484.

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:

• (1365) franc à pied, Charles V
• (1385) blanc guenar, first emission
• Tournai (1389) ecu d'or Fr-376
• (1389) écu d'or à la couronne, Angers mint, Charles VI
• (1389) écu d'or, St.-Lô mint
• Liège (1390) couronne d'or, John of Bavaria
• (1394) écu d'or à la couronne, Romans mint
• (1411) écu d'or, Paris mint
• (1417) agnel d'or
• Coins and currency dated 1385
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)