France. 1720 Demi Sol Evasion/Counterfeit. As Gadoury-273. Choice Very Fine.

89.0 grains. An unusual rarity in this series that appealed to Syd on just about every possible level: a seemingly unique John Law copper struck with evasionary legends as a circulating counterfeit. This last sold at auction in our July 1995 Coin Galleries sale as “Types, size, and weight of the Demi-sols au buste enfantin of 1719-1724 but unlisted in Gadoury or any other reference into which we looked. About Fine, olive brown color, fairly decent surfaces free from serious marks. Plain edge. No mintmark, fleur-de-lys and stop below bust. Unusual and evasive legends that on the obverse reads LUGDUN:XV:DEC:GRATIA while on the reverse we see FRANCIAE ET NAVARRAE EXCUSS 1720. The legends make no real sense now and may not have when first composed, either. Were this a late 18th century English halfpenny we would class it as one of the Evasions. This is the first of this type we have seen and, while that does not necessarily make it rare, does lend it some cachet that an ordinary 1720-A Demi-sol au buste enfantin lacks.” Your cataloger, then barely out of high school, bought this from Tom Rinaldo at the next coin show following the sale. After decades of looking for another, this is still the only one that has appeared, which seemingly does make it rare. The bust is engraved in outline fashion, intentionally lacking central detail but showing little actual wear. The central reverse is similarly soft. A single tiny rim nick above 2 of the date is the only real post-striking flaw. This piece has so much in common with the English halfpenny evasion series, including die fabric and striking technique, that we think it must be from that general era. It remains as fascinating today as when first seen.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our (Coin Galleries’) sale of July 1995, lot 5; Tom Rinaldo; John Kraljevich Collection, November 2000.