France 1791-A sol

from the Mountain Groan Collection

from the Stack's Bowers 2024 ANA sale, lot 43086

This specimen is a copper sol struck at the Paris mint in 1791. It is common. Its face value was twelve deniers tournois. The type was struck 1777-91 and is known from Paris for most of the dates. These circulated in France until the 1850's when they were finally called in and melted. The second specimen was lot 43086 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE. Constitution. Copper 12 Deniers Module Essai (Pattern), 1791. Paris Mint. Louis XVI. PCGS SPECIMEN-62 Brown. By F. Bernier. Struck in red copper, this elegant pattern issue, one that is no doubt EXTREMELY RARE, presents enchanting color and a pleasing strike upon both sides. Variously described with respect to its denomination, with Gadoury and Margolis positing it as 12 Deniers, Ciani as a Sol (for the colonies), and Hennin as "...cette pièce est un projet de sou qui ne fut pas adopté." From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Münzen und Medaillen on 27 November 1962). Ex: Collection R.K. (Raoul Kraft) (Münzen und Medaillen - 11/1962) Lot # 429."

Recorded mintage: 17,522,138^[2].

Specification: 12.24 g, copper, 28-31 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Benjamin Duvivier. The second specimen is 11.98 g.

Catalog reference: Dr/4 № 891, Dr/2 № 624, KM 578.1. The second specimen is Gad-12.(b); Ciani-2260 (as a Sol for the colonies); Hennin-333 (as a Sou).

Source:

Ciani, Louis, Les Monnaies Royales Françaises de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI, avec indication de leur valuer actuelle, Paris, 1926 (reprinted in Barcelona, 1965).
^[2]Droulers, Frédéric, Répertoire General des Monnaies de Louis XIII à Louis XVI (1610-1792), 4e édition. Paris: AFPN, 2009.
Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
Guilloteau, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, Colonies 1670-1942 et Metropole 1774-1942, Versailles, 1942.
Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.

Link to:

France 1791-A sol

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