French Colonies / Guadeloupe / Unattributed. 1767-A Sou. Breen-700. Lecompte-7 var, Mazard 58-59. Countermarked G in Crenelated Cartouche. EF-40.180.8 grains. Attractive glossy medium brown with mostly hard, smooth surfaces, but for some light scattered pitting on the reverse, mostly at right. A fascinating piece, struck from the same mark as the Louis XVI sou plated by Mazard (58), as well as the 1793 BB sol sold by Heritage in their January 2013 sale. There are several similar but different G marks, all traditionally described as Guadeloupe based on Zay’s misreading of the Decree of April 1803. They are found on Portuguese half Joes and various coppers of the era. All are likely modern concoctions. See Dix, Noonan, and Webb’s sale of November 2011 for one on a half Joe (lot 604) from a similar but not identical mark.<p><p>From the E Pluribus Unum Collection.
