412, Lot: 777. Estimate $1000. Sold for $1400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FRANCE, Royal. Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (the Well-Beloved). 1715–1774. AV Demi-Louis d’or dit “Noailles” (23mm, 6.13 g, 6h). Paris mint; différents: lis/star. Dated 1717 A. Crowned head left / Crowned cruciform coats-of-arms around central H; lis in quarters. Droulers 731; Duplessy 1631; Ciani 2076; KM 430.1; Friedberg 451. EF, flan crack, some hairlines, short scratch, slightly irregular edge.

The “Noailles” issue was struck on a slightly different weight standard, with a Louis of 12.237 grams, leading many to mistakenly believe this piece to be a full Louis, rather than a Demi (Droulers p. 619–20).