Bone 1915 10 centimes token
The first specimen was lot 73089 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2023), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "ALGERIA. Bone. Aluminum 10 Centimes Token, 1915. Paris Mint. PCGS MS-65. Quite sharply struck and extremely lustrous, this glistening Gem stands as one of the finest seen at PCGS, with just one example exceeded it in overall quality." The second specimen was lot 73090 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2023), where it sold for $192. The catalog description[1] noted, "ALGERIA. Bone. Brass 10 Centimes Essai (Pattern), ND (1915). Paris Mint. PCGS SP-64. A VERY RARE pattern issue, of which this stands as the finer of just two seen in the PCGS census, this example offers a great brassy-yellow hue with immense brilliance." Wikipedia comments,
"Annaba (Arabic: عنّابة, lit "Place of the Jujubes"; Berber languages: Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. With a population of about 464,740 (2019) and 1,000,000 for the metropolitan area, Annaba is the third-largest city and the leading industrial center in Algeria."
These tokens were issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Bone during World War One, when coinage went into hiding. France had ruled Algeria since conquering it in the 1840's and many Frenchmen had emigrated there and set up farms, businesses, etc. However, the German occupation of France during World War Two fatally weakened French control and the native Muslim majority began to resist discrimination and oppression. Finally, after an eight year war, president Charles de Gaulle braved the wrath of the French right wing and granted Algeria independence in 1962.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: the first specimen aluminum, the second specimen brass.
Catalog reference: the first specimen KM-TnB3; Lec-212; the second specimen KM-TnB4; Lec-215.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, November 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancient & World Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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