France 1814-CL 5 francs

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Stack's Bowers September 2025 Collectors Choice sale, lot 71328
SB925-71328r.jpg

This specimen was lot 71328 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. 5 Francs, 1814-CL. Genoa Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS Genuine--Environmental Damage, VF Details. An EXTREMELY RARE issue of Italian origin, this crown is a highly important specimen for the specialist of the series. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Paul Davies at C.O.I.N. in Los Angeles on 10 June 1978 for $450)." Shown is a Napoleonic five francs struck at the Genoa mint in 1813-14. The various designs of Napoleonic five francs form eight distinct types of which this is the seventh, struck 1809-14 with a complete set of this type comprising 86 date and mintmark combinations, some very rare. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate in France after World War One.

Recorded mintage: 1,185[2], a very rare date.

Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 37 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE. Designed by Pierre Joseph Tiolier, 1763-1819.

Catalog reference: Dav-85; Sobin-58; F.307/79, KM-694.4; Gad-584.

Sources:

  • Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
  • 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.
  • George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
  • [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.

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