France 1680-A 1/2 ecu
This specimen was lot 1038 in Jean Elsen sale 138 (Brussels, September 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XIV (1643-1715), AR demi-écu à la cravate, 1680A, Paris. 2e émission. D/ B. dr. et cuir. à d., portant une perruque et une cravate brodée. R/ Ecu de France couronné. Rare. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XIV, 1643-1715, silver half écu of the necktie of 1680, Paris mint, second issue. Obverse: draped and armored bust to right, wearing a wig and an embroidered cravat; reverse: crowned arms of France. Rare, very fine.)"
This type was struck 1672-85 in fairly large quantities but was the victim of repeated "reformations," where older half écus were called in and restruck. As a result, the type is rare today. It was succeeded by the demi-écu drapé à l'antique of 1684-87. Droulers[2] prices this date as common, but even a common date is priced over four times that of an demi-écu à la mèche longue.
Recorded mintage: 796,050[2], common for type. Also Dr/4 № 562, 563 (different busts) were struck at Paris in 1680.
Specification: 13.72 g, 0.917 fine silver, 31-32 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Jean Warin; this specimen 13,59 g.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 561, Dr/2 № 367, Dupl-1501; Gad-178.
- [2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
- Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 138, Collection A. BLONDEL, Collection M. HENDRICKX, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2018.
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