Catalog
1 Ecu - Honoré II
| Issuer | Monaco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1648-1651 |
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| Currency | Livre tournois (781-1795) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | HONORATVS II. D.G. PRINCEPS. MONOECI. (Translation: Honoré II by the grace of God prince of Monaco.) |
| Reverse description | The arms of Monaco — a shield lozengy of argent and gules arranged in a diamond pattern — surmounted by a princely crown with elaborate floral finials and a jeweled band. The motto DEO IVVANTE is inscribed on a scroll or label across the upper portion of the shield. The date appears in the circular Latin legend in the field, which also references the ruler's titles. The composition is framed by a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Honoré II secured formal recognition of Monégasque sovereignty from Louis XIV in 1641 under the Treaty of Péronne, abandoning a century of Spanish protection in exchange for French backing — and it was this newly legitimized authority that made issuing coinage in his own name politically viable. The écu series followed directly from that diplomatic realignment.
KM#14 is among the larger silver issues of the principality and among the earliest to circulate under unambiguous Grimaldi sovereignty. Surviving examples in any condition above heavily worn are genuinely scarce; Monaco struck no coin in quantity and these saw real use.