France 1724-A ecu

Künker sale 263, lot 1701

This specimen was lot 1701 in Künker sale 263 (Osnabruck, June 2015), where it sold for €2,000 (about US$2,584 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"KÖNIGREICH Louis XV, 1715-1774. Ecu aux huit L 1724, A, Paris. Prachtexemplar. Herrliche Patina, vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. (kingdom of France, Louis XV, 1715-74, écu of eight "L's" of 1724, Paris mint. Proof example, toned, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"

An écu aux 8 L of the Paris mint, struck while Louis XV was a minor. Droulers^[2] notes the type as rather scarce as most were melted in the great reform of 1726. A number were recovered from the wreck of Le Chameau but most were corroded. This type is the lowest weight écu struck during the reign of Louis XV.

Recorded mintage: 918,810.

Specification: 23.59 g, .917 fine silver, .695 troy oz ASW, 38-39 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM, designed by Norbert Roëttiers.

Catalog reference: Duplessy 1670; Dav-1329; KM 472.1, Gadoury 320, Dr/5 no. 745, Dr/4 no. 818, Dr/2 no. 574.

Source:

• ^[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.
• 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.
• ^[1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 263, The Friedrich Popken collection of gold and silver coinages | Coins and Medals from Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. the collection of Ernst Otto Horn, part III, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2015.

Link to:

• 1724-N écu aux 8 L
• 1724-T écu aux huit L
• 1724-9 écu aux 8 L
• 1724-V écu au grand écusson de France
• 1724-A louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-B louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-D louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-H louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-L louis d'or Mirliton, palmes longues
• 1724-M louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-O louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-T louis d'or mirliton, palmes longues
• 1724-W louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-& louis d'or Mirliton, grandes palmes
• 1724-A double louis d'or Mirliton
• 1725-P écu aux huit L
• 1725-Q écu aux huit L
• 1725-R écu aux 8 L
• Coins and currency dated 1724
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)