France 1766-D ecu

Jean Elsen sale 154, lot 1464

This specimen was lot 1464 in Jean Elsen sale 154 (Brussels, March 2023), where it sold for €75 (about US$97 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XV (1715-1774), AR écu au bandeau, 1766 D, Lyon. D/ T. à g., ceinte d'un bandeau. R/ Ecu de France couronné, entre deux rameaux d'olivier. Rare. Taches d'oxydation. Très Beau. Dans le Trouvaille de Labuissière. (kingdom of France, Louis XV, 1715-74, silver écu of the ribbon of 1766, Lyon mint. Obverse: head left, hair tied in a ribbon; reverse: crowned arms of France between two olive branches. Rare, stained by corrosion, Very Fine.)"

The écu au bandeau is the most popular coin of the ancien regime among collectors. Alhéritière and Deswelle^[3] reported 575 dates for this type in 2004; three more have been published since. An additional 215 dates may exist; records show they were minted but no one has found one. Four dates are known which the archives state should not exist. Of these only two dozen or so are classed as common (20 or more examples known), while 481 dates are known from five or fewer examples.

Recorded mintage: "assez peu"^[2], a slightly better date.

Specification: 29.49 g, 0.917 fine silver, 39-41 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM, designed by Joseph-Charles Röettiers, this specimen 29,90 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 820, Dr/2 № 584, Dupl. 1680; Gad. 322, Dav-1331.

Source:

• ^[2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
• ^[3]Alhéritière, Edouard, and Ludovic Deswelle, "Les écus de Louis XV de bandeau: point de situation," Numismatique et Change, No. 349 [Mai 2004], pp. 61-63.
• Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
• George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
• Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
• ^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 154, Trouvaille de Labuissière, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2023.

Link to:

• 1765-L écu au bandeau
• 1765-T écu au bandeau
• 1765 écu au bandeau du Béarn
• 1766-L vinqtiéme d'écu au bandeau
• 1766-L cinquième d'écu au bandeau
• 1766-L écu au bandeau
• 1766-T écu au bandeau
• 1766 louis d'or du Béarn au bandeau
• 1766 double louis d'or au bandeau du Béarn
• 1767-L écu au bandeau
• Coins and currency dated 1766
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)