France 1783-W ecu

Jean Elsen sale 152, lot 1831

This specimen was lot 1831 in Jean Elsen sale 152 (Brussels, September 2022), where it sold for €75 (about US$91 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XVI (1774-1793), AR écu aux rameaux d'olivier, 1783W, Lille. D/ B. habillé à g., les cheveux noués par un ruban. R/ Ecu de France couronné, entre deux rameaux d'olivier. Rare. Beau à Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XVI, 1774-93, silver écu of the olive branches of 1783, Lille mint. Obverse: uniformed bust to left, hair tied in a ribbon; reverse: crowned arms of France between two olive branches. Rare, Fine - Very Fine.)"

The Lille mint struck this type 1775-79, 1781-91 and its issues are an odd mix of common and rare dates. This is one of the latter, despite the substantial mintage.

Recorded mintage: 113,793, very scarce^[2].

Specification: 29.45 g, 0.917 fine silver, 39 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM. This specimen 29,13 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 883, Dr/2 № 616, Dupl-1708; Gad-356, Dav-1333.

Source:

Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
^[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.
Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Royales Françaises, 1610-1792, 5me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2018.
^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 152: Collection Ferdy Willems, Celtic coins, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2022.

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France 1783-W ecu

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