France 1717-H ecu

Jean Elsen sale 150, lot 1354

This specimen was lot 1354 in Jean Elsen sale 150 (Brussels, March 2022), where it sold for €360 (about US$477 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, Royaume, Louis XV (1715-1774), AR écu Vertugadin, 1717H, La Rochelle. Flan neuf. D/ B. enfantin à d., dr. et cuir. R/ Ecu de France rond, couronné. Fines griffes et traces d'ajustage. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Louis XV, 1715-74, silver écu Vertugadin of 1717, La Rochelle mint, new planchet. Obverse: young bust right, draped and armored; reverse: crowned round arms of France. Fine scratches and adjustment marks, Very Fine.)"

This is an écu vertugadin of the Lyon mint, struck while Louis XV was a minor. Droulers^[2] notes the 1718-D as scarce. The specimen shown is a "flan neuf." The type was struck 1715-18 in substantial numbers but was replaced by the écu de France-Navarre, which is only 24.47 grams. At the time of issue, it had a face value of 5 livres tournois, which rose to 15 livres in July 1720 but was demonetized in September 1720 at a value of 13 livres, 2 sols, 6 deniers.

Recorded mintage: 374,860 fn^[2], a better date. No "rf" are known for this date.

Specification: 30.59 g, 0.917 fine silver, .902 troy oz ASW, 41 mm diameter, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM, designed by Norbert Roëttiers; this specimen 30,26 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 813, Dupl-1651; Gad-317, Dav-1326.

Source:

^[2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 2nd édition. Paris: AFPN, 1998.
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.
Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 150: Collection J.F.L. Blankenberg, Monnaies de l'Orient Latin, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2022.

Link to:

France 1717-H ecu

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