1710/09-AA French Colonies 30 Deniers, or Mousquetaire. Metz Mint. Vlack-Unlisted. Breen-Unlisted. AU-50 (PCGS). 37.6 grains. While Syd never did a deep dive into the die varieties of mousquetaires (largely because Bob Vlack had already written a very good guide to the series), he was always on the lookout for new and interesting varieties. This was one of the fruits of his labors, discovered upon acquisition but never published until now. The overdate is plain, with the roundness of the underlying 0 visible between the 10 of 1710, and the upper loop of the 9 resembling a partial eclipse at the upper right of the 0 of the overdate. Fortunately, the discovery specimen is lovely, with choice medium gray and olive toning, tinged with light silver gray highlights. The centering is ideal and the planchet is glossy and attractive. A die crack from the date to the upper left of the crown seems to have happened when the already hardened die was altered, given its location. Though 1709-AA is a rare issue among mousquetaires, there is a possibility this obverse die was used in both years. In a more popularly collected series, the only recorded specimen of an important overdate would cost a fortune, but the French Colonies series still offers opportunities like this at a reasonable level. PCGS# 860773. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex American Heritage Minting, February 2004.
