On 5th May major collection of French silver ecus was auctioned online by MDC Monaco.
The sale featured 140 examples additional to those presented by the great coin collector George Sobin in his classic work The Silver Crowns of France, 1974. The highlight was a 1715 coin struck in Lille and bearing the image of the infant Louis XV, which sold for 15,000 EUR.
To mark the importance of the auction, MDC Monaco has published a paper reference catalogue.
We learn that the silver ecu, or ecu blanc, first appeared under Louis XIII in 1641, and was equivalent to 60 sols. Fractional versions were also issued. During the reign of Louis XV, the coin’s value varied between 3, 5 and 6 silver livres, and was worth 6 livres during the reign of Louis XVI.
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