1658-A Pattern Douzan. Piedfort. Billon. Breen-274, Ciani-1976, Duplessy-1579, Gadoury-86. VF-35 (PCGS).54.63 grains. A rare pattern issue related to the coinage for the French Colonies that circulated in North America. It is evenly bold with impressive definition to the reverse cross, which is often found soft. The surfaces are overall smooth with hints of luster around the devices. An old scrape on the obverse at 6 o’clock slightly impacts the mintmark but goes largely unnoticed in-hand. The modern weight of 3.54 grams (54.63 grains) is essentially twice that of the officially authorized 1.854 grams, confirming this piece as a piedfort and a rarity within an already elusive type.<p>Though long thought to be struck for domestic purposes, it seems most likely that these were produced specifically for circulation in New Canada, where many have been found. The 1658-A issue was among the earliest billon issues to be struck with the fleur-de-lys motif, which had been first used as a countermark by the French to designate coins for export. It is reported in silver, billon and copper, and on both regular and piedfort planchets, creating several variations which all remain rare.<p>The 1658-A douzain has long been acknowledged by collectors of Colonial and Early American coinage but its exact classification has been somewhat controversial. Specialist Robert Vlack did not consider these types intended for circulation in the French Colonies, though Walter Breen classified them as "[French] domestic coins officially exported to America" in his 1988 <em>Encyclopedia</em>. While it has been variably referred to as a douzain piedfort, double douzain, and a pattern 30 deniers, it is absolutely certain that this issue remains a significant rarity.<p>This piece is one of just a handful of survivors known, including an Uncirculated example that sold in January 2004 for $5,520, a heavily worn piece that brought $2,243 in March 2014, a lightly handled example that earned $2,346 in December 2017. It is missing from several significant cabinets of French and French Colonial coinage including that of the ANS, British Museum, Bank of Canada Museum, and even the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. It was also missing John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, which we sold in January 2006, though that collection did include a billon piedfort of the 1658-A pattern sizain that sold for $14,000 in lot 19.
