France 1820-W 1/4 franc
This tiny coin was struck at Lille under the régime of king Louis XVIII (1814-24). It is a scarce date of a type struck 1817-24. Unlike Napoleonic quarter francs, which are divided among six types, all quarter francs of this reign are of this type, which is fairly common. The catalog[1] notes 35 dates for the type, some very rare, and notes some specimens of this date are known with medal rotation. This specimen was lot 1542 in Jean Elsen sale 116 (Brussels, March 2013), where it sold for €160 (about US$243 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE, Louis XVIII, seconde restauration (1815-1824), AR 1/4 franc, 1820 W, Lille. Rare. Très Beau (kingdom of France, Louis XVIII, second restoration (1815-24), quarter franc of 1820. Lille mint. Rare, very fine.)"
Specification: 1.25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 15 mm diameter, plain edge.
Recorded Mintage: 5,894 (priced about four times the most common date).
Catalog reference: F.163/19, KM 714._, Gad-352.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- [1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [2]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 116, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2013.
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