France 1687-9 ecu

Heritage sale 3064, lot 30747

photo courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

This specimen was lot 30747 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $2,680. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Louis XIV Ecu 1687-(9) VF Details (Surface Hairlines) NGC, Rennes mint. Though exhibiting some scattered hairlines, this rarer mint type is seldom encountered in any state of preservation, making the present example a cut above. A deeper cabinet tone further adds to its charm and desirability." This type is listed in Gadoury as the écu à la perruque ("écu of the wig") and in Droulers as the écu drapé à l'antique. Struck 1684-89 from only a few mints and nearly completely restruck in the ensuing reformations, this is one of the rarest of French coin types. Half écus (Gad-181) also exist but are even rarer.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 27.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, edge lettered "DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM", designed by Norbert Roëttiers.

Catalog reference: Dav-3809, Gad-214, Dr/4 № 500, Dr/2 № 390B, KM 255.7.

Source:

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.
Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
^[1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.

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France 1687-9 ecu

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