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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ian, post: 37383, member: 283&quot;]Perhaps it is the 1/8th(?).&nbsp; I didn&#039;t get too involved in measuring up the coin. The 1/8th isn&#039;t visually all that significantly bigger than the 1/16th. These denom&#039;s only appear on that issue and a few other very scarce issues. The earlier issue 1690 -3 was 1/12th and 1/24th.</p><p>The later issue of the Ecu aux trois couronnes saw the two smaller denom&#039;s change yet again to 1/10th and 1/20th.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The one you have imaged Doug is the Bearne issue. It differs significantly from the ordinary dies. Apart from the different shield (reverse) you can always tell Bearne issues by the legate letters (BD) that appear after REX (obverse). That one is also listed in Ciani, but because it is a Bearne issue and therefore readily differentiated from the one cited by NOS I decided not to muddy the waters by even mentioning it.</p><p><br /></p><p>What IS important to mention here is that during the period 1690 - 1715 there were quite a number of different designs all of which were issued as `sets&#039; of five pieces in silver. As I said, I don&#039;t have Gadoury, but the species outlined in Ciani is there for all to see. Two types of&nbsp; 8 l&#039;s issued between 1701-1704. One with the cuirassed bust with the little `sun king&#039; medallion on his breast. The other (1704 only?) a draped *and* laureate bust very similar to the earlier 1690&#039;s issue of the 8 l&#039;s but withought the laurels (all of which are different again from the Bearne issue). Ciani would not have been able to list them if they didn&#039;t exist, and given that Ciani was there first.......</p><p><br /></p><p>None of that however makes the coin `genuine&#039;. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>See my earlier comments on Ciani (and also my earlier comments on&nbsp; French mint records). As you are well aware, you have a coin which has an enigma to it which isn&#039;t noted in any of the aforementioned books. I have a number of french coins with significant differences from the recorded / catalogued `norm&#039;. </p><p><br /></p><p>Out of sheer interest the image you gave as a Gadoury listing as a 1/16th is listed in Ciani as (dependent upon size) either a 20 sols (1702-09) or a 10 sols or a 5 sols.</p><p><br /></p><p>Personally (paraphrasing a somewhat famous quote) I would rather err with Ciani than be right with Gadoury. I think that just about sums up my opinion of Gadoury. However, that does not help resolve the bona fide&#039;s or otherwise of the coin in question. (Nor does it resolve why Gadoury shows a coin which has the tips of the fleur de lis pointing up instead of down.) ;-)</p><p><br /></p><p>Ian[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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