France 1813-L franc

Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 71404

This specimen was lot 71404 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $432. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. Franc, 1813-L. Bayonne Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS Genuine--Cleaned, EF Details. Though some minor cleaning has taken place, this elegant minor sports a deep cabinet tone and displays very little actual handling. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Platt in 1983 for $141.25). Ex: "Collection D." (Maison Platt - 5/1983) Lot # 216." This type of 1809-14 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: 33,201^[2], a scarce date.

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.205/64, KM-692.9; 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 1813-L franc

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