Grade/Image France 1716 Ecu 6/14/2024
coinkat
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France 1716 Louis XV Ecu
PCGS Grade: AU50 My Grade: 35% - EF45 65% - AU50
I wanted start with this coin for several reasons that will be explored below:
I really like this coin. There is an old saying about ownership adding a point to the grade. Instead of project a specific grade, I like to have a grade spread/range based on the grade outcome probability. I do this to help set a reasonable expectation for the grade and whether that spread/range to assist with the submission decision making process. In short... Objectively, is the coin submission worthy and what is the most probable grade outcome? In this instance, the grade outcome worked out.
French coinage has a compelling and somewhat problematic history. Most of the late 17th and early 18th century Ecu coinage was often struck over an existing coin. There can be a full range of issues including but not limited to adjustment marks, quality of the planchet and the strike that will limit the quality. The surviving population in various states of preservation is inconsistent. And it helps to view these coins with this understanding and appreciation. Readers' Digest Condensed version- it's simply a challenge to find attractive examples of the various portrait types from the reign of Louis XV .
So we move on to resources that we have that can be dedicated to French coinage. And resources are perhaps the most significant limitation that really extends and applies to other countries and coin series as well. What are the collecting objectives and types of coins will satisfy the numismatic interest? In this instance, there are likely examples that are graded that could be found over time at a significantly higher price point. But is the higher graded coin always the best option? And this is where the concept of quality for the grade based on "the look" of the coin combined with the likely surviving population at various grade levels enters the analysis. And what may often be overlooked is how often coins with the right look become available.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Comments
Has anyone ever contemplated the surviving population of various coins based upon a reduction due to the use of an existing coins as planchets in later issues? And the question extends well beyond geographic borders. I just do not see a viable way of handicapping the surviving population of various coins…
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
That's a tough thing to estimate, especially if the minting authority doing the overstriking did not keep detailed records. In this case I would rely on observation / experience. I may not know all the factors that contribute to it, but i have a good sense of scarcity / market availability for all the dates in the area i collect. There are some interesting anomalies, where you expect a high surviving population and just don't see evidence of it, which are likely tied to external events (trade, melting down for silver, overstriking, etc) impacting some dates more than others.
BTW, lovely Ecu! Do you recognize the host?
8 Reales Madness Collection