France 1811-K franc

Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 71399

This specimen was lot 71399 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $85. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. Franc, 1811-K. Bordeaux Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS Genuine--Harshly Cleaned, Fine Details. Some rather extensive cleaning and handling is noted, with some darker hues around the devices helping to lend a two-toned nature to the appearance. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Chelsea Coins [Dimitri Loulakakis] at London Coin Fair on 6 June 1998 for $38.50)." This issue, from the Bordeaux mint, is a better date of a type struck 1809-14. This type is the last and probably the most available Napoleonic franc. It was demonetized in 1869. A complete set of this type comprises 74 date and mintmark combinations, many very rare.

Recorded mintage: 47,805^[2].

Specification: 5 g, 0.900 fine silver, 23 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE. Designed by Pierre Joseph Tiolier, 1763-1819.

Catalog reference: F.205/33, KM-692.8; Gad-447.

Sources:

Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
^[2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, including Selections from the Richard Margolis Collection and Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.

Link to:

France 1811-K franc

Navigation menu

Search