1751 Jeton Lec-108a Canada Ag RE MS(PCGS#651266)

1751 Jeton Lec-108a Canada Ag RE MS (PCGS#651266)

November 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

详细说明: 1751 Franco-American Jeton. Standing Indian Among Lilies with Alligator. Betts-385, Breton-570, Frossard 34/9. Silver. Reeded Edge. MS-62 (PCGS). Coin turn. 83.8 grains. 29.0 mm. Lustrous and beautiful, with pale champagne, violet, and bright blue toning that deepens into the reflective peripheries. Some trivial hairlines are noted, and a light wave at the lower right obverse field suggests an essentially invisible bend. A thin die crack runs horizontally from the second denticle right of X of REX through C to above H of CHRISTIANISS. The eye appeal is superb, with surface quality far nicer than usual for this variety. While Betts did not distinguish between the variety with the alligator at lower left and the one without, the "With Alligator" variety is orders of magnitude rarer in every composition and has become a classic rarity in the Franco-American jeton and Breton series. Beyond its rarity, the thought of an alligator in French Canada has always been amusing to collectors. Of course, these beasts were quite populous (and remain so) in the more temperate French settlements along the Gulf Coast. The reverse legend is translated by Betts as "they increase beneath every constellation," a reference to the crops depicted and, one presumes, to the French themselves. Provenance: From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. PCGS# 651266.