Brian Bell forwarded the Introduction to lots 1-549 in the upcoming Geoffrey Bell Auctions sale #20. This section closes May 2, 2019. Thanks! This catalog
will be an important reference work on the French Colonies coinage for North America. -Editor
The French Colonies coinage for North America is something unusual in numismatics. It spans well over a century, incorporates many distinct coinage
types and metals, comprises regular struck coins, overstrikes and countermarks, and has a wealth of varieties, with at least some types struck at each of the
29 French mints. Some were produced in immense quantities yet are scarce or even quite rare today thanks to subsequent recoinage, melting and shipment of coins
off to other French possessions after they had they served their purpose in North American French colonies; others were made in small numbers to begin with,
and are exceptionally rare today.
Despite an abundance of interesting features, the coinage has been inexplicably ignored by numismatists in all three countries that should be collecting it:
Canada, the United States of America and France! That, thankfully, is beginning to change. While a few types were briefly acknowledged by some late 19th and
early 20th century writers, it was only in the late 1970s that Victor Gadoury made the first attempt to list the issues struck in France by date and mintmark,
including those for the American colonies.
Lot 2: 1640 countermark on a Charles VI Blanc dit Guenar, 5th Emission
In 2004 Robert A. Vlack wrote a book on the French billon coinages intended for North America, giving variety and rarity information for the first time,
especially useful for the Sous and Half Sous Marques - coins that had been around for 250+ years before this was finally attempted. More recently, Syd Martin's
2015 book looked at the three coinages that were specifically struck for North America; of these types, only the 1721-2 Copper 9 Deniers are affordable and
quite collectible, and Martin's work has die variety and rarity information published for these, also for the first time - nearly three full centuries after
those coins were struck! Most of the other French Colonies coinages have yet to be published in any sort of detail, offering a great opportunity for original
numismatic research.
Lot 331: 1722-H Copper Nine Deniers
We are pleased to offer here an extensive collection of the coins that actually circulated in French North America - many of which continued to circulate in
both Canada and the United States (especially the areas acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase) into the early 19th century. A handful of extreme rarities
are not included in this collection, such as the 1670-A silver 5 and 15 Sols and the 1717-Q copper issues of 6 and 12 Deniers. While their rarity is legendary,
that same rarity also meant those coins would have seldom been seen in circulation. Instead, this collection focused on the coins that were used on a routine
basis by those who lived in the region from the 1640s through the early 1800s, and shows the wide variety of coin types available. For struck coins this means
date and mintmark combinations as well as major varieties; for countermarked or overstruck coinages it means the variety of different host coins by ruler, date
and mint. These coins were made to circulate, not to be placed in the cabinets of European collectors, and while a few have survived in remarkably nice
condition, others exist only well-worn, attesting to their long and useful life in commerce. This is a series that is focused less on perfect condition and
more on the intrinsic history wrapped up in these rare surviving pieces of daily life.
Lot 368: 1754-A Billon Sous Marques
This is one of the largest offerings of such coins at public auction, on par with the 500+ coin Robert A. Vlack collection sold in January, 2008 and the
450+ offering of the John J. Ford collection sold in January, 2006 - though each of these three collections are stronger in different areas. Both Ford and
Vlack had more Sous Marques and Half Sous, and the Ford sale was remarkably strong in coinage from the treasure ship Le Chameau, while the present collection
is far richer in the earliest issues, the 1640 countermarks and the Recoined Sol coinage.
Lot 502: 1767-A French Colonies Copper Sou
Included in this offering are many extremely rare pieces that have never appeared for public sale before, others that are completely unlisted in the scant
reference material, and some other unusual delicacies. We have strived to make this more than just an auction catalogue to be discarded after the sale is done,
but rather something that can be used as a reference work for the series as a whole. We have grouped the offering by series, each with a brief introduction
tracing the coinage and its importance to Canada and North America. For collectors of both Canadian coinage and the American colonial series, this offering is
one worthy of further study. For our bidders from the United States we remind you that the bids are in Canadian dollars, and the current exchange rate is
heavily in your favor, making the series an even bigger bargain. Bonne chance!
To view the lots or bid, see:
http://auctions.gbellauctions.com/Toronto-Coin-Expo-Spring-Sale-2019_as56934
Wayne Homren, Editor
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