France 1745-& ecu
This specimen was lot 73348 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2023), where it sold for $312. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu, 1745-&. Aix-en-Provence Mint. Louis XV. PCGS AU-58. Though some extensive adjustment marks (as made) are observed on the obverse, this crown otherwise remains without much in the way of time spent in commerce." Most of the mints were in small towns, operated to provide patronage for local politicians. In gold, Paris, Strasbourg, Lille and Pau were the most important; in silver, Bayonne, Paris, Pau, Aix (shown here) and Rennes predominated. France has little bullion ore within its boundaries, so most of the silver came from melted foreign coin, especially Spanish. The gold to silver ratio in France was 14.5:1, favoring silver. This is a common date for the mint.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specifications for the Écu au bandeau:
- Obverse: LUD.XV.D.G.FR ET NAV. REX. (for Pau, NA.RE. BD), king’s bare bust left, hair tied with a ribbon;
- reverse: SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM (date), oval shield of France, crowned, between two olive branches tied with ribbon, mintmark below; edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM.
- composition: silver, 11 deniers (.917 fine), 8.3 pieces to the mark (29.488 g), face value 6 livres, 39 mm diameter. Engraved by Joseph-Charles Röettiers.
Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 820, Dr/2 № 584, Dav-1331; KM-512.26; Dupl-1680; Gad-322.
- [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.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, November 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancient & World Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
Link to:
- 1745-W double sol aux 2 L couronnés
- 1745-P dixième d'écu au bandeau
- 1745-B écu au bandeau
- 1745-9 écu au bandeau
- 1745-G louis d'or au bandeau
- 1745-N louis d'or au bandeau
- 1745-W louis d'or au bandeau
- 1745-X louis d'or au bandeau
- 1745-& louis d'or au bandeau
- 1745-BB double louis d'or au bandeau
- 1746-G écu au bandeau
- 1746-N écu au bandeau
- 1746-W écu au bandeau
- 1746 écu au bandeau du Béarn
- Coins and currency dated 1745
- return to French royal coinage (to 1793)