France 1578-T ecu d'or

Goldberg NY International sale 58, lot 1048

This specimen was lot 1048 in Goldberg's NY International sale 58 (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $1,500. The catalog description^[1] noted, "France. Henri III (1574-1589). Gold Ecu d'or, 1578-T. Nantes mint. Crowned arms. Rev. Floriated cross. Type 3. The only example graded at PCGS. In PCGS holder graded MS 62." This coin is called the écu d'or au soleil in Duplessy with a face value of fifty sols tournois. Four major variations exist: type 1 (Sb 4924), with "P·REX" in the king's title; type 2 (Sb 4928), with the king's titles starting at the top; type 3 (Sb 4932, shown here), with the king's title starting at the bottom, and type 4 (Sb 4936) with the king's title on the cross side.

Recorded mintage: 5,400^[2].

Specification: 3.37 g, .958 fine gold, plain edge, this specimen 3.35 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-386; Dup 1123; Sb 4932 (1 ex.).

Source:

• 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.
• ^[2]Sombart, Stéphan, Franciae IV: Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises de François Ier à Henri IV (1540-1610), Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 1997.
• ^[1]Goldberg, Ira, Stephen Harvey and Vera Kan, Goldberg NY International 2023 Sale, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2022.

Links to:

• 1578-A quart d'écu
• 1578-A franc
• 1578-D franc au col plat
• 1578-G franc au col plat
• 1578-P franc au col plat
• 1578-T franc au col plat
• 1578-E écu d'or au soleil, Tours mint
• 1578-F écu d'or au soleil, Angers mint
• 1578-H écu d'or au soleil
• 1578-K écu d'or au soleil
• 1578-M écu d'or au soleil, Toulouse mint
• 1578-P écu d'or au soleil
• Coins and currency dated 1578
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)