France 1811-BB franc
This specimen was lot 71236 in Stack's Bowers June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2026), where it sold for $1,159. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. Franc, 1811-BB. Strasbourg Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS EF-45. A SCARCER type, this example offers steely gray hues and exhibits only minor wear. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired in Basel on 29 January 1983 for $250)." This type was struck in France during the reign of Napoleon (1809-14) from numerous mints. This specimen, from the Strasbourg mint, is a scarce date of a type struck 1809-14. In 1806, the French revolutionary calendar was dropped and normal AD dating resumed. This type is the last and probably the most available Napoleonic franc. It was demonetized in 1869.
Recorded mintage: 11,814 (11,826 per the SCWC).
Specification: 5 grams, 0.900 fine silver, 23 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE. Designed by Pierre Joseph Tiolier, 1763-1819.
Catalog reference: F.205/29, KM-692.3; Gad-447.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction - Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, the Richard Margolis Collection and the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Reales Minors, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2026.
Link to:
- 1810-A franc
- 1811-A ½ franc
- 1811-B ½ franc
- 1811-BB ½ franc
- 1811-D ½ franc
- 1811-H ½ franc
- 1811-I ½ franc
- 1811-K ½ franc
- 1811-L ½ franc
- 1811-MA ½ franc
- 1811-Q ½ franc
- 1811-T ½ franc
- 1811-U ½ franc
- 1811-W ½ franc
- 1811-A franc
- 1811-B franc
- 1811-D franc
- 1811-H franc
- 1811-I franc
- 1811-K franc
- 1811-L franc
- 1811-M franc
- 1811-MA franc
- 1811-T franc
- 1811-W franc
- 1811-A 2 francs
- 1811-B 2 francs
- 1811-I 2 francs
- 1811-L 2 francs
- 1811-M 2 francs
- 1811-MA 2 francs
- 1811-Q 2 francs
- 1811-T 2 francs
- 1811-W 2 francs
- 1811-A 5 francs
- 1811-B 5 francs
- 1811-BB 5 francs
- 1811-D 5 francs
- 1811-H 5 francs
- 1811-I 5 francs
- 1811-K 5 francs
- 1811-L 5 francs
- 1811-MA 5 francs
- 1811-Q 5 francs
- 1811-T 5 francs
- 1811-W 5 francs
- 1811-A 20 francs d'or
- 1811-K 20 francs d'or
- 1811-M 20 francs d'or
- 1811-U 20 francs d'or
- 1811-W 20 francs
- 1811-A 40 francs d'or
- 1811-K 40 francs d'or
- Coins and currency dated 1811