1721-B French Colonies Sou, or 9 Deniers. Rouen Mint. Martin 1.2-A.2, W-11825. Rarity-4. EF-45 (PCGS).

95.1 grains. An outstanding and well pedigreed example of the key 1721-B date and mintmark, as described in our sale of the Craige Collection: "Dark chocolate-brown, a bit lighter in centers, over finely granular surfaces. An extremely sharp specimen of this rare issue, ideally centered on both sides. The reverse is particularly impressive, with full legends and a well stuck center. The obverse shows an arc of denticles from 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock. A thin old scratch descends from I in FRANCOISES to 2 of the date, tiny rim nick at O of DOMINI on reverse. Craige first classified this as his 2-B, then changed it to 3-C. The envelope notes 'D of BENEDICTUM high and points 1/6 way up 'E.' Base on 'C' rev.' Craige graded this coin 'Nice!' We cannot disagree. The provenance of this piece speaks for itself: W.W.C. Wilson's collection is perhaps the most legendary collection ever formed in Canada, with a special focus on coins and medals of the colonial era." The coin passed from the W.W.C. Wilson Collection to many numismatic greats including Ryder, Boyd, Ford, Rendell, Craige, and finally Syd Martin, rounding out an impressive provenance chain that adds to this specimen's already significant desirability.

PCGS# 905866.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from Wayte Raymond's sale of the W.W.C. Wilson Collection, Part V, November 1927, lot 5; Hillyer Ryder; F.C.C. Boyd; John J. Ford, Jr. (New Netherlands Coin Company); Kenneth Rendell; our sale of the Ted L. Craige Collection, November 2012 Baltimore Auction, lot 6247. Plated in the Martin reference "French Coinage Specifically for Colonial America," pp. 162, 290.