France 1825-W 20 francs
This issue, from the Lille mint, is one of a type struck during the reign of Charles X from four mints. This specimen was lot 1203 in Jean Elsen sale 121 (Brussels, June 2014), where it sold for €220 (about US$352 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE, Charles X (1824-1830), AV 20 francs, 1825 W, Lille. Très Beau. (kingdom of France, Charles X (1824-30), gold twenty francs of 1825, Lille mint, very fine.)"
Paris mint issues are reasonably common but the branch mint issues are all rare. A complete set of this type (1825-30) comprises 17 date and mintmark combinations. Le Franc[1] estimates a total mintage of 1.69 million for the whole type, compared to the preceding Louis XVIII 20 francs (1816-24), which number about 12.7 million. All gold twenty francs were officially recalled in 1928 but effectively ceased to circulate in France during World War I.
Specification: 21 mm diameter, 6.45 grams, 0.900 fine gold, edge lettered DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM. Designed by August François Michaud, 1786-1879.
Recorded Mintage: 62,207[1].
Catalog reference: Gad-1029; Fr-550, F.520/2, KM 726.4.
- 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 121, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2014.
Links to:
- 1824-A 20 francs
- France 1825-A franc
- France 1825-H franc
- France 1825-A 5 francs
- 1825-B 5 francs
- 1825-BB 5 francs
- 1825-H 5 francs
- 1825-I 5 francs
- 1825 5 francs, visit of the prince of Salerno and the duchess of Berry to the Paris mint
- 1825-A 20 francs
- 1827-A 20 francs
- 1827-W 20 francs
- Coins and currency dated 1825