1641-A 15 Den Gadoury-22 MS(PCGS#829560)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1003

等级

VF20

价格

14,407

详细说明

Important Counterstamped 1641-A Quinzain With Edict of 1640 Countermark 1641-A French Colonies 15 Deniers. Gadoury-22, Ciani-1710, Breen-272. VF-20 (PCGS). 36.6 grains. Reverse aligned slightly clockwise from medal turn. Dies 1-A. Easily the most historically important of the 1641 quinzains Syd collected, the subject of his article "An Interesting 'Old Sol'," published in the Fall 2010 C4 Newsletter. As recounted there: "This coin, with the countermark, appears to be unique. There is not even a hint of one in Vlack's opus on the billon coinage of New France. Further, this coin proves that the 1640 countermark was used beyond that date. It suggests that 1641-A quinzains, at least in the form of Old Sols, became current in, and likely reached, New France." This piece shows an attractive blend of light and medium silver-gray, a little granular overall but crisp and appealing. The oval fleur-de-lis countermark is positioned just northeast of the central reverse, fully outlined at right but a bit soft at left. The reverse of the quinzain is centered to the lower left, while the obverse is better centered. The planchet fissure or crack at central obverse may have been caused by the introduction of the counterstamp. Eye appeal is nice overall, though this is a coin whose importance has little to do with whether it's attractive or not. It serves as the sole evidence that the countermarking required by the Edict of June 1640 extended in time beyond the mintage of the 1641-A quinzains and swept up at least some portion of this rare issue in the process. With little in the way of documentary or archaeological evidence, despite a strong circumstantial case, this coin is the best real evidence for likely circulation of the 1641-A quinzains in Nouvelle France. Syd recognized its importance and appeal instantly. Additional information pertaining to this lot: The Billon Quinzains of 1641 Within mere decades of the 1608 establishment of a permanent settlement at Quebec, the French settlements in Canada evinced a need for a circulating medium. While furs were the straw that stirred the colonial economy, Quebec and other settlements were growing with families, religious institutions, and local commerce. The French monetary economy was a mess in the 17th century, with near constant revaluations of specie, precipitous inflation, and a circulating coinage that was more medieval than modern. Among the most medieval types in French circulation were the diverse hammered douzains, struck in dozens of localities for well over two centuries. These coins, dating back to the late 14th century, were struck in billon, a low grade alloy of copper and silver that tarnished badly and wore out completely. In June 1640, the French authorities called for all such coins to be returned to French mints to receive an oval fleur-de-lis countermark. Those that did would be revalued from 12 deniers (a douzain) to 15 deniers (a quinzain), with a portion of the increase in value retained by the mintmasters to encourage participation. After a short grace period, all such uncountermarked douzains would be deemed property of the Crown. The coins below represent a short-lived experiment from the year after the 1640 counterstamping edict: rather than applying counterstamps, the French mints apparently considered replacing the billon medium with brand new coins whose design included the required oval fleur-de-lis. Judging from the rarity of these coins today (and common sense), the experiment was a failure. It was far easier to apply a countermark to these soft, low-value issues than recall them, melt them, recast planchet stock, roll and cut planchets, and strike new coins from fresh dies. The billon douzains became quinzains once countermarked, but they were popularly called sols; the countermarked coins were thus known as sols marquesor "marked sols." These quinzains made their way to Canada in large numbers by virtue of high local valuations. From 1662 on, these coins were valued at 24 deniers in Canada, which attracted so many of the coins that within five years "it has resulted that several persons, since that time, have brought from France a very great number of these, so that there are scarcely to be seen any other coins, which has brought about very great injury to the public." (Shortt, Canadian Currency, Exchange, and Finance During the French Period, page 17). An adjustment to 20 deniers stuck for most of the rest of the 17th century throughout New France, including Canada and the West Indies, but so many were in circulation that they continued to be seen until the end of the 18th century in the islands. Archaeological finds have included specimens along the American Gulf Coast and in the Mississippi Valley, as well as throughout Canada. There is good evidence (cited by Crosby and Breen) that these were seen often enough in Connecticut in the early 1720s that the General Assembly called for an official valuation of them at twopence each. The place of the douzains countermarked in 1640 among the most important subsidiary coinages of North America in the 17th century is secure. The rare 1641 quinzains must be adopted similarly, as their designs speak to the intimate connection between the two issues, though no examples of these rare coins are known to have been recovered archaeologically. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Pierre Raymond, St-Jerome, Quebec, July 2010. PCGS# 829560. Click here for certification details from PCGS.