Heritage World Coin Auctions
CICF Signature Sale 3046 14-15 April 2016
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Martinique
French Colonial gold 22 Livres countermark ND (1805) AU Details (Scratches) NGC, KM37, Gordon-Variety B reworked (for the punch of the countermark). Base coin Brazil gold 6400 Reis 1776-B, XF-AU, lightly clipped but genuine with edge reapplied and faint scratches to the right of the bust defining the grade, countermark AU. Countermarked per arrêté of September 26, 1805, which basically instructed to countermark all unplugged coins (deplugged coins i.e. coins that had a plug removed were also considered) to be examined and countermarked according to their fineness: genuine (full fineness) ones would be valued at 22 livres per gros (and marked with the 22 over eagle punch, such as the present example) and the better quality circulating forgeries ("minted in America, Geneva or other foreign countries") at 20 livres per gros. Uncountermarked coins - meaning plugged ones and forgeries of lesser quality - would be valued at only 18 livres per gros. Thus the "20" or "22" mark does not indicate the value of the coin itself (as assumed in the SCWC, which also wrongly indicates that KM37 is found on imitation 6400 Reis which possibly induced the same error on the insert) but rather its fineness. Interestingly, even genuine coins marked with the "22" punch had to be weighed prior to assigning them with a value since clipped and re-edged coins - such as the present one - were also found in circulation. A most interesting and very rare West Indies countermarked issue, most desirable despite the noted insignificant flaws.
Estimate: 3000-4000 USD
French Colonial gold 22 Livres countermark ND (1805) AU Details (Scratches) NGC, KM37, Gordon-Variety B reworked (for the punch of the countermark). Base coin Brazil gold 6400 Reis 1776-B, XF-AU, lightly clipped but genuine with edge reapplied and faint scratches to the right of the bust defining the grade, countermark AU. Countermarked per arrêté of September 26, 1805, which basically instructed to countermark all unplugged coins (deplugged coins i.e. coins that had a plug removed were also considered) to be examined and countermarked according to their fineness: genuine (full fineness) ones would be valued at 22 livres per gros (and marked with the 22 over eagle punch, such as the present example) and the better quality circulating forgeries ("minted in America, Geneva or other foreign countries") at 20 livres per gros. Uncountermarked coins - meaning plugged ones and forgeries of lesser quality - would be valued at only 18 livres per gros. Thus the "20" or "22" mark does not indicate the value of the coin itself (as assumed in the SCWC, which also wrongly indicates that KM37 is found on imitation 6400 Reis which possibly induced the same error on the insert) but rather its fineness. Interestingly, even genuine coins marked with the "22" punch had to be weighed prior to assigning them with a value since clipped and re-edged coins - such as the present one - were also found in circulation. A most interesting and very rare West Indies countermarked issue, most desirable despite the noted insignificant flaws.
Estimate: 3000-4000 USD