1786-T French d'Or Gold NGCMS62 Coin

[Cacheman-migration]

I just purchased a cache of gold that included the subject coin. I had been warned after the the purchase that I may have a problem with liquidity of this coin....e.g. no real demand. Does anyone have an idea as to the demand for this coin? It's value? The gold is all Darkside and my first purchase of Darkside material, hence, I have no Krause or other reference books in my library. It is my understanding that Krause only references up to XF condition for this coin anyway. Thanks, CM

[Guest]

Sorry, cman, but I have no idea as to the "value" of your coin. It seems, however, that such a coin should be worth tons of money. Why doesn't Darkside money command as much money as American? Let's just say for the sake of argument that the coin were American--it would be worth 5 figures or more, right? I'm amazed that such high quality coins even exist, and the population has to be extremely low, don't you think?

 

I have a raw quarter ducat from Augsburg, 1714, which looks at least MS64; it is really perfect. I can't believe it. What is the chance that there is even one better one in the whole world? I think it's extremely slim.

 

 

[Cacheman-migration]

1jester, You are correct...it is very disheartening to see something of this caliber, 250 years old, and gold be worth next to nothing. When I first began collecting I was stuck on US coins...but I am beginning to see the light of the Darkside. Wonderful coins with wondeful designs from exotic places past......what more could you want? I love this coin and it'll be a very cold day in hell before the ugly state quarter would be able to hold a candle to it....

 

Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing a scan of this coin. CM

 

[trozau]

Yes, please post a scan. Thanks.

[prooflike]

Hey Scott, it should be worth it's weight in gold!

[prooflike]

I almost forgot, where's the pic?

[Gallienus]

Hi,

 

I used to have a 1786 double Louis d'or but unfortunately sold it some years ago. In ms-62 the coin is not extremely rare as it's a hoard piece (I think a bank hoard or something) but there is a demand for it.

 

I did buy another ms-62 double Louis d'or, a 1758-BB which I still have.

The link is here: French coins of the Monarchy

 

I'd be interested in your 1786-T but of course at a certain price. Even in the US there is a strong demand for better French gold in ms. If the person talking about liquidity is comparing this to what you'd get for a pre-1800 USA 2&1/2 or 5 dollar Turban Head gold piece in ms-62 then the French coin is much cheaper.

 

Also I bid just a few days ago on a French 5 francs of 1798 or 99 in the Lissner auction but of course lost it. Also as you can see my earliest French gold is a moulton d'or (also in ngc-62) which was struck shortly after "The Black Death" in Europe. This piece is approx 1360 AD.

 

I started out collecting US coins but also bought Foreign as well. In times when US prices went crazy for any better coin [i.e. any common date Gobrecht in non-screwed up condition is nearly $100,000] I decided to instead buy high quality coins of certain non-US countries: in which I specialize. Thus if you are interested in selling this piece, then I'm interested, but it'll take time.

[jgenn]

You have a very nice site, Gallienus and some excellent French coins. I have a few écu of Louis XIV, one écu of Louis XV and one écu of Louis XVI.

~jack

[World Colonial]

Sorry, cman, but I have no idea as to the "value" of your coin. It seems, however, that such a coin should be worth tons of money. Why doesn't Darkside money command as much money as American? Let's just say for the sake of argument that the coin were American--it would be worth 5 figures or more, right? I'm amazed that such high quality coins even exist, and the population has to be extremely low, don't you think?

 

I have a raw quarter ducat from Augsburg, 1714, which looks at least MS64; it is really perfect. I can't believe it. What is the chance that there is even one better one in the whole world? I think it's extremely slim.

 

 

Don't collect these coins but I am familiar generically with many of them. Late 18th century European coins from my observations don't seem to be scarce at all, even in high grades. I believe they are more available than those from the US because presumably there were more collectors around to preserve them, especially from a country like France, Britain and Germany.

 

To give you an example, I own six of the eight 1790 Austrian Netherlands Insurrection issues in grades of MS-63 to MS-65. I used to think these coins were "rare" but not anymore. The crown sized three florin, out of an original mintage of 44,000, I suspect that at least 100 exist which are eligible for an NGC or PCGS MS. In MS-63, it retails for about $1750 which I think is a respectable price given its availability.

 

The 1714 coin you mentioned, these earlier dates I believe are scarcer but not necesarily that scarce, even in an MS-64. As a basis of comparison, take a look at the current listings in Heritage for the late 9th (or maybe10th) century Byzantine silver. There are many listed in either AU or MS and this was prior to modern collecting. If these coins survived in this state, you can be sure that at least most subsequent European did also for a variety of reasons.

 

And even where it is, you also need to consider that there are many German, Austrian and Dutch states/provinces which issued any number of denominations each and every year for a long time. So the demand for any individual issue isn't going to be that high because the series is too large and expensive for more a few to even try.

[Gallienus]

Hi Jack & thanks very much.

 

Actually I stopped collecting French some years ago when prices made a step change upwards. Clearly there are some major holes, for example I talk about the "Currency Reformation" of Louis 14th, but don't own any Reformation piece. Also I made a bid mistake not buying and NGC-64 Hundred Days 5 francs when one appeared cheaply on Teletrades. Cest La Vie!

 

I now "accumulate" comparatively unrelated coins from Latin America & also occasionally, an ancient piece.

 

Your also have some very impressive registry sets.

 

Yours,

John

[Gallienus]

You have a very nice site, Gallienus and some excellent French coins. I have a few écu of Louis XIV, one écu of Louis XV and one écu of Louis XVI.

~jack

Thanks very much. I get very few visitors to the site as it's all old html coding except for the front page and 2 or 3 map pages. Thus I think Google only sees that it's 3 pages total.

 

I would very much like to put the whole thing in Wordpress and have both some new & important pieces & many corrections on historical facts. However it's slow going.

[CyberspaceVoid]

"Fortunately the coin is housed in a slab so my chance of catching the plague from it are minimized."

 

LMAO ... love it!

[WillieBoyd2]

Purchased this little item in 2014 instead of the much-hyped US gold Kennedy half dollar:

 

 

France Gold Louis d'Or 1786 - Louis XVI (Actually a double Louis d'Or)

 

Obverse:

LUD XVI D.G. FR ET NAV REX

Ludovicus XVI, Dei Gratia, Franciae et Navarrae Rex

(Louis XVI By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre)

DUVIV (Engraver B. Duvivier) at base of head

Mint privy mark of heron below

Navarre was a kingdom split between Spain and France at the time.

 

Reverse:

CHRS REGN VINC IMPER 1786

Christus regnat, vincit, imperat

(Christ reigns, conquers, governs)

A (Paris Mint mark)

Mint privy mark of lyre after "IMPER"

 

Gold, 0.451oz, 15.24gm, 0.9167 fine, 28mm

About the size of a United States $10 Eagle.

From Heritage Auctions, graded NGC AU with scratches, I was the only bidder.

 

I bought it because "Louises" are mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson's famous 1883 novel

Treasure Island as being found in the pirate treasure chest.

 

 

 

[RWB]

Infinitely more interesting than a gold imitation of a half dollar. Possibly a coin that helped create the United States.

[JKK]

Nice-looking piece. Great example of history held in the hand, the final years before the French would take cue from our own revolution, but end up doing it somewhat differently and with more severed heads.