Catalog
1⁄12 Ecu - Honore II
| Issuer | Monaco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1653 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1⁄12 Ecu (Scudo) (1/4) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The crowned shield of Monaco, bearing the characteristic lozengy fusilly pattern of the Grimaldi arms in alternating rows, occupies the centre of the field. The princely crown above the shield features fleurons and is rendered in fine relief. The surrounding Latin legend, interrupted by the date 1653 at the upper left, reads DVX VALENT PAR FRANCIÆ & c, abbreviating the titles Duke of Valentinois and Peer of France, with the inscription separated by floral stops and bordered by a beaded inner circle. |
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| Reverse lettering | ✿DVX * VALENT* PAR Ꞩ FRANCIÆ * & c 1653 |
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| Additional information |
Honoré II secured formal recognition of Monegasque sovereignty from Louis XIII in 1641 — the Treaty of Péronne — ending decades of Spanish suzerainty and making him the first to hold the title of Prince of Monaco rather than merely Lord. This coin was struck just over a decade into that new political reality, during a period when Monaco was actively asserting its identity as an independent principality under French protection. The 1⁄12 écu denomination places it within the French monetary orbit almost by design.
Gad#MC14 is genuinely scarce. Monaco's output throughout the seventeenth century was modest by any measure, and attrition has been severe.