French Coinage for Canada and Louisiana

II. French coins officially exported for circulation in Canada

Sol en billon

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

1739-A        Breen 391                       Sol en billon - 24 deniers

Obverse:  LUD . XV . D. G. FR [. Symbol weakly struck (called a fox with small lozenge by Breen) .] ET NAV . REX .
Reverse:  1739 [SI]T NOM . DOM . [mintmark A] BENEDICTUM [five pointed rosette]

Weight:  28.8 g   (1.86 grams)                  Diameter:  22.76 mm

Comments:   The Krause-Mishler number, listed under "France" as 2 sols, is KM 12.1. Now known as the sou marqué, this variety was referred to as the "nouveaux sols" or new sous in the issuing edict of October 1, 1738 and was called the "double sols" and the "sol marqué" in mid Eighteenth century Canada (Nouvelle France). It was designed by J.C. Roettier at the Paris mint and made from a lightweight billon consisting of 25% silver and 75% copper with a silver wash. A sol was equal to 12 deniers, while this undesignated coin had a value of 24 deniers, hence the name double sol.

This coin was made during the first half of the year as examples from the second part of the year contain a pellet or dot under the D in LUD, which is not present here. The obverse displays a crowned L for Louis XV with the fleur de lys to either side and below; the legend translates as, "Louis XV by the grace of God King of France and Navarre." The reverse displays a crown above a branchwork design that forms the letter L intersected with a branch through ther center (according to Breen in his "Coinage under the French Regime" article on p. 69, the design gives a "superficial appearance of two interlaced L's"). The legend translates as, "Blessed is the name of the Lord." This is a well preserved but weakly struck example from the Paris mint (mintmark A) with only part of the dentilated border showing and some of the legend missing. On the obverse there is a rather large diebreak through LUD and another noticeable break above the R in REX. On the reverse there is a noticeable diebreak extending from the stop after DOM and above the C in BENEDICTUM. It is rather lightweight as Breen states the observed weights range from 28-41 grains.

Provenance:  Acquired through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA auction of November 1, 1997, lot 554.

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