Does anybody know what this 1979 ECU III Token is?

I love to go to auctions or dealers and get bulk lots of things and look through them. While doing so, I found this item. It is two of the same item, front and back. Does anybody know what is is or when it commemorates. Obviously, it is something about the EU, but other than that, I don't know anthing about it. What is the III for?



Thanks again.
- Hal

 

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The coin does not commemorate the EU. Check out the following link for information on the ECU...

http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/ECU.html

 

Wow, I love this forum. Thanks for the quick reply. So, the ECU is acutally a form of money? Cool. So, these coins are 3 ECU's coins. Did each country make their own? Are they listed in the Krause/Mishler Standard Coin catalogue. I had no idea they were actually money because they were in a box with miscellaneous tokens.

Thanks Again!!!
- Ha

 

After furthur research, I now see ECU entries in the KM catalogue under individual countries. I have not found this coin yet. In fact, I have not seen a 3 ECU for anyone yet. It seems they all start with 5 as the lowest denomination.

- Hal

 

Well, I went through my Kraus Mishler catalogue (it is only a 1997 version since I am too cheap to buy a new one) and I can not find this coin listed in any of the ECU setions for all the ECU counties in 1979. I am starting to think it is a Medal or Token of some sort. So, it is still a mystery.

Best Regarsds,
- Hal

 

An interesting piece. Dated 1979, with what appear to be 9 individual coins around the reverse, although there were 10 currencies included in the original ECU. Also I don't recall ever seeing blindfolded Justice with her scales on any European coin. (The 2003 Krause doesn't list any 3 ECU coins either, although it does show some 1 ECUs for Spain.)

 

A little more research than I can do at this moment is required, I will look into a later tonight, but I beleive the nice coins pictured on the reverse represent the nine other members, the country that issued this coin being the 10th. And, I would have to look in Krause to see if I could find them but I am almost certain that there were 3 ECU coins.

 

Thanks for all the great info. Here is some additional information that may help.

The front of the coin is not a blind justice with scales. The beautiful is not blindfolded and is holding a scroll. One breast is exposed and there it looks French to me. The name on the coin is P. Rodier and after a quick Google, I guess that is Pierre Rodier, is an engraver at the French Mint. There is a cornucopia mint mark on the coin as well as the letters "BR.FLO".

Also, I found one for sale on Ebay, but I really does not have any information about what the coin is. Here is a link to that auction. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=539&item=3914271621&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Thanks for all the help. I love researching this stuff when I should be cutting the grass.

Best Regards,
- Hal

 

Oh yeah, Also it is 40 mm in diameter and weighs 33 grams.

- Hal

 

Which, as we all know, is a traditional mint mark of the Paris Mint.

 

Well, I checked my 1980, 1986 and 2004 books and could not find this coin listed. Further, I tried to find information on the coin with some Google searches but came up empty handed.

So, I think it is obvious that it is a 3 ECU coin from France, but other than that there is little more I can say. Kind of strange that France's entire line of ECU coinage would be absent from Krause - considering the fact that, for instance, Belgium's line is listed??

 

Thanks for all the replies. This coin is still a mystery!! My 1997 Krause/Mischler does list some French ECU's, but only those with a corresponding Franc denomination as well. The lowest denom. is the 100 Francs/15 ECU coin. Oh well..

Thanks for all the help.
- Hal

 

Yes, the French Mint never issued ECU-only coins. Would not have made much sense anyway - even though some governments and quite a few non-gov. institutions in Europe issued ECU "coins", they have never been in use as "real" cash anywhere.

Guess this is a medal; I don't know what the III actually means but I doubt it indicates a face value. (Note that the dual franc/ecu coins use the plural ECUS, not ECU.) The date - 1979 - simply refers to the year when the European Currency System, with the ECU as its currency unit, was established.

(edit) I just had a closer look at the piece depicted, or rather the enlarged picture at the CGB website. The countries shown are apparently Belgium (top), Germany, Denmark, Ireland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. What you have was most probably made at the Monnaie de Paris but is not actually a coin ...

Christian

 

Well, on this page it is called a coin. Phhh ;-)

http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/modernes/m10/gb/monnaiesgbc424.html

Christian

 

chrisild, what makes you so sure that the French mint never issued ECU only coins? I am almost certain they issued 1 and 3 ECU coins.

 

There were many "French ECUs" but AFAIK none of them has ever been legal tender in France. Belgium had a few, as you mentioned, which were legal tender indeed (though not actually used in circulation). France had those "dual denomination" pieces which also were legal tender, but I don't think they ever had an ECU(-only) coin ...

Here are some more ecus, from various places in France, including a 3 ecu coi----medal
http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/modernes/m10/gb/sommairegba155.html
At then cgb.fr site there are also images of ecu pieces with the "République Française" inscription. Maybe that is what you had in mind?

Christian

 

I think you are correct. That being said, this coin does appear to be an mint product (mint mark and engravers name on the piece) which would leave me to believe that it must have been designed to commemorate the creation of the ECU.

 

Aaaaah, but it does, and it is indeed a medal, not a coin!

Here is the verbatim response I received from an e-mail inquiry to the Monnaie de Paris, basically confirming the collective wisdom of this forum's members :

 

Wow, that is awesome. Mystery Solved!!! I still wonder what the III represents? I never would have tought of sending and email off the the mint. I guess they have a web page with email address on them.

Thanks so much to all of you!!!!

Best Regards,
-Hal

 

Oh, by gold, I think they mean Gold Color and not composition. I wish it were gold....

- Hal