France 1590-A ecu d'or Fr-389
This specimen was lot 1335 in Jean Elsen sale 127 (Brussels, December 2015), where it sold for €420 (about US$539 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Royaume, Charles X, cardinal de Bourbon (1589-1590), AV écu d'or au soleil, 1590A, Paris. D/ Ecu de France couronné, sous un soleil. R/ Croix anillée et fleurdelisée. Rare Trace de pliure. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, pretender Charles X, cardinal of Bourbon, 1589-90, gold écu d'or of the sunburst of 1590, Paris mint. Obverse: crowned arms of France below a sunburst; reverse: floriate, voided cross. Rare, creased, very fine.)"
This coin is called the écu d'or au soleil in Duplessy[2] with a face value of fifty sols tournois. Charles X was actually the pretender put up by the Catholic League in opposition to Henry IV, who had converted from Protestantism. This Cardinal never ruled France as he was a prisoner of Henry IV.
Recorded mintage: 121,400[3].
Specification: 3.37 g, .958 fine gold, this specimen 3,32 g.
Catalog reference: Sb 4940, Fr-389, Dupl. 1172; Ci. 1481; Laf. 1015.
- [2]Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 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.
- [3]Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 127, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2015.
Link to:
- 1587-E écu d'or au soleil
- 1590-CH double tournois
- 1590-H quart d'écu, Henry IV
- 1590-L quart d'écu, Henry IV
- 1590-X quart d'écu, Charles X
- 1590 quart d'écu du Béarn, Pau mint
- 1590 quart d'écu de Navarre, St.-Palais mint
- 1591-A écu d'or au soleil, Charles X
- Coins and currency dated 1590
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)