France 1852-A 5 francs
The silver five francs of Napoleon III (1852-70) were issued in massive quantities and this date is the most common. The catalog[1] notes that this type was issued from the Paris mint (shown here) and the Strasbourg mint (very rare). No écu dated 1853 is known to exist other than a few patterns, so it is probable that the recorded production in that year is of 1852-dated coins. There is also a rare variety where the engraver's signature is shown as "J.J.BARRE". All silver five francs were officially recalled in 1928 but ceased to circulate after World War I. This coin was legal tender in the United States until 1857 at a value of 93 cents. The second specimen was lot 1447 in Stack's Coin Galleries sale (Irvine, July 2011).
Specification: 37 mm diameter, 25 grams, 0.900 fine silver, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE. Designed by Jean-Jacques Barré, 1793-1855.
Mintage: 16,096,228[1], 16,117,000[2].
Catalog reference: F.329/1; Gad-726, KM 773.1, Dav-94.
- [2]Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- [1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc VIII: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2009.
- [3]Van Valen, Frank, and Vicken Yegparian, The July 2011 Coin Galleries Sale, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, 2011.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
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