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1694-“Dot in Circle” [Pau Mint] Sol de 15 Deniers de France-Navarre-Bearn, Gadoury 94.

Currency:CAD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:175.00 CAD Estimated At:450.00 - 500.00 CAD
1694-“Dot in Circle” [Pau Mint] Sol de 15 Deniers de France-Navarre-Bearn, Gadoury 94.

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1694-“Dot in Circle” [Pau Mint] Sol de 15 Deniers de France-Navarre-Bearn, Gadoury 94. Fine or better, apparently struck over an earlier douzain given the edge chips and light clipping. The grade is almost irrelevant on this extremely rare type, given a separate number in Gadoury and all the other earlier references because the Pau Mint design was different from the other mints, as described above on the 1693-dated issue from this mint. About three-quarters of the legends are visible on either side, fortunately including the date (the 9 lost to a small planchet crack, the rest sharp). The distinct shield is sharp on the obverse. The diework is far more crude than found on other mints – we note here that the S in SIT on the obverse is actually cut in backwards! While something like that often indicates the coin is a contemporary counterfeit, the Pau issues are typically much cruder than anywhere else. There is no reported mintage for this year, but the Pau mint never struck many examples of this type (or most others), and it is invariably among the rarest mints in any of the larger series, especially so for the issues that are French Colonies relevant (including the Sous Marques). This date was given the highest valuation in earlier editions Gadoury, along with two others, one of which had a mintage of just 3,626 coins! It was ranked more in the middle range of rarity of coins from this mint (all of which are rarer than most other mints) in the new edition, though we have seen but one other example and expect that it is much rarer than thought.