Lot 1061
Lot 31061 > Louis XVIII gold Engraved Off-Metal Strike 5 Francs 1820-A AU Details (Obverse Graffiti) NGC, Paris mint, KM-Unl., VG-Unl., Maz-Unl. (cf. Maz-742 for gold striking dated 1819), Gad-Unl. (cf. Gad-614 for gold striking dated 1815). 37mm. 35.74gm. By Auguste-François Michaut. Edge: DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM (incuse). Engraved: EMILIE DU RAIS - GEORGES LEBEL - 27 MARS 1876. By all measures an absolutely singular piece, entirely undocumented by Mazard, Gadoury, or VG. While a variety of gold 5 Francs essais are known from Louis's reign as part of a mint design competition between engravers Michaut, Jacques, and Gatteaux, we know of no documented specimens from this date and none with a lettered rather than plain edge. Favored for his choice of an advantageous portrait of the somewhat portly monarch compared to his competitors--and certainly pandering even more so with the pro-monarchist edge inscription (which translates to "God save the King")--Michaut's patterns would most likely have served as presentation pieces executed for the King or a member of the royal court. Engraved on the obverse, this specimen adds yet a further degree of provenance and historical intrigue, presented to Marie-Georges Lebel and Emilie-Eugenie du Rais on their wedding in 1876 after over 50 years in one of their family's possession. Lebel, a lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal, Conference Secretary (Secrétaire de la Conférence) from 1872-1873, and a member of the Council of Order from 1899, and was set to receive the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor, France's highest order, shortly before his death in 1918. The coin has remained in Lebel's family until now, marking its first ever auction appearance. Despite being designated as graffiti, the engraving is handsomely executed with the utmost care taken not to interrupt the coin's natural design. While admitting some light handling in-line with its history as a treasured wedding gift and family heirloom, the overall execution is superb, without evidence of mounting or serious damage. Though any suggestion of a value is necessarily speculation, we note that Chaponniere & Firmenich offered an 1817 gold striking of the same design in their July 2017 Auction 8, which brought the equivalent of $43,747 (lot 135).
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