Does anybody know what this 1979 ECU III Token is?

Maybe different versions were issued? The web page that I mentioned earlier http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/modernes/m10/gb/monnaiesgbc424.html shows something very similar to your medal and says it's silver (Ag 925).

Strictly speaking, by the way, that medal cannot commemorate the European Union since the EU was established in 1992 (Maastricht Treaty). But such nitpicking aside, it does refer to the EC and the ECU, of course. Hope you enjoy it!

Christian

 

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The écu was actually one of the reasons why the new European money was ultimately not named ECU but euro: A currency called ECU would, in some countries, always have been a mere abbreviation of "European Currency Unit", and possibly be pronounced "e-see-you", while for others it would have been a reference to that old French écu ...

But that écu is a nice coin indeed

Christian

 

Well, although Jean says "gold", the Mint's website does say silver (actually "argent"). It looks like this was the first in a 17-year series, all listed as silver proofs (Fleur de Coin in French terms), except the last one, which is a cu-ni Specimen. this list has links to each one. Original issue price was the same 90F and the Mint claims the silver medals 70s on the Sheldon scale , but gives its own cu-ni medal only a Sheldon 60

 

My 1979 ECU "Medal" coin is slightly different than the one on the website listed above. If you look at the picture (link here) you can see that along the bottom, after Rodier's Name, and the Cornucopia, it has the markings AG, then some stuff I can't read. Mine says "BR.FLO", what ever the heck that means. Also, I have noticed that the Roman Numeral III is on more than one of these coins.

Thanks again!!!!

 

I have both the 1979 issue you do, and also the 1980 issue, which has a seated version of Liberty on the obverse. The 1980 came in a padded wallet, with an information book.

made by: Administration des Monnaies et Medailles (address in Paris), distributed by Jean-Marc Laleta (address in Paris).

"Certificate of Guarantee. In order to commemorate the implementation of the European Monetary System, the following quatities of E.C.U., dated 1980, have been struck: gold (.920, 50g)=2000, silver (.925, 40g)=20000, florentine bronze, 33g=50000. The Administration des Monnaies et Medailles guarantees that this is a limited serie. Its hallmark is stamped on the obverse." From my previous research, it appears this series started around 1977 or 1978, and was still going into the 1990's.

 

Awesome!!! So BR.FLO is Florentine Bronze. Thanks for helping solve this mystery.

Best Regards,
- Hal

 

To end this argument,I can tell you that it is listed in Krause's Unusual World Coins catalogue under Europe.There is a section that list pieces denominated in 'Europinos',& under Germany it lists 'Thalers of Europe'.

 

Ecu.

GDJMSP,this was called an 'Ecu',which is derived from the French word for 'shield'.It was tariffed at 6 Livres.The modern 'ECU' is actually an acronym derived from the same origin.ECU stands for 'European Currency Unit',which was really a money of account.

 

Munted links.

GDJMSP,I am very surprised.I didn't know that you had some links that were munted.By the way,what a very interesting coin you had scanned.

 

I believe this is a called Europa 1979 Ecu, and is 1.48 oz. of gold. It is listed in the Bruce catalog #X32. Only 1,460 were minted. It is certified graded NGC MS69.

 

Florentine gold is actually a type of brass,like the Nordic gold used in the coins from 10 Euro-Cents right through to the 50 Euro-Cents.

 

I'm sure that there would probably be some undiscovered varieties of the pre-Euro ECU pieces.I wish that the Euro tokens issued by various towns were listed,as they were used as coins.

Aidan.

 

HOW is this in the US Coins Forum????

Go away away for a month or three......

And all strange things happen on cointalk.....

who`s minding the store????

 

Someone should shift this thread into the World & Ancient Coins section.

Aidan.

 

As they had no such function, it would not make much sense to list them in regular coin catalogs. But we have been through that before ... right here, and a couple of years ago.

Christian

 

Doug,what is wrong with reviving an old thread that someone was looking at early today?

Christian,those locally-issued Euro tokens were used as coins only in the local area,which is why they should be listed in Krause's 'Unusual World Coins'.

Aidan.

 

Actually I don't care whether a catalog of such exotic pieces lists them or not. The ones talked about in this discussion more than two years ago did certainly not circulate anywhere, just as the vast majority of those ECUs.

Christian