FRANCE. 1/4 Ecu, 1643-A. Paris Mint. Louis XIII (1610-43). PCGS AU-53 Secure Holder.Gad-48; KM-P43. A <strong>RARE</strong> double piefort (quadruple weight) specimen of the common <em>quart decu au buste drape de Louis XIII;</em> Gadoury notes it as "R5". Handsomely toned and very original looking, with hints of original luster remaining in the fields and a single contact mark on the reverse shield that should serve as an easy pedigree marker. Thicker than a silver dollar, the edge is lettered "EXEMPLUM PROBATI NUMISMATIS", its presence predating the standard edge lettering on French coinage by a full forty years.PCGS AU-53 Secure Holder.
