1670-A French Colonies 5 Sols. Paris Mint. Martin 11-D. Lecompte-186, W-11605, Breen-256. MS-62 (PCGS). A nice frosty example, with antique light silver gray surfaces that deepen to darker olive at the peripheries. Perfectly centered and exactingly struck, with full detail on both sides, even in the usually soft central reverse. Aside from a short scratch that extends from the rim to the shoulder near 7:30, no significant defects are noted. The reverse shows spalling left of the shield and a clash at the upper periphery. Reverse D also shows a raised speck of spalling between REGN and I, which appears to be the stop or period mentioned by Lecompte in the listing of his 186a. This appears to be a comparatively common variety, with four examples cited by Martin, including this one and one in the Stewart Museum in Montreal. This is the finest among them by a healthy margin. Its also one of just six Mint State examples of the type certified by PCGS. PCGS# 905853. PCGS Population: 4, 2 finer (MS-64 finest). From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from Heritages sale of May 2008, lot 2108; Heritages sale of January 2011, lot 3017.
