France 1859-BB franc
This specimen was lot 74425 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2024), where it sold for $288. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Franc, 1859-BB. Strasbourg Mint. Napoleon III. PCGS MS-64. This near-Gem example of a Barre portrait is boldly struck and evenly toned, and will undoubtedly spark bidding interest. From the Richard Margolis Collection." This issue, from the Paris mint, is a common date of a type struck 1853-63 during the régime of Napoleon III. This "tête nue" design, by J. J. Barre, was replaced in 1864 by the "tête laurée" type, which was of lower fineness. It was demonetized in 1869.
Recorded mintage: 1,554,131, a common date.
Specification: 5 g, 0.835 fine silver, .144 troy oz AGW, 23 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Albert Désiré Barré (1818-1878).
Catalog reference: F.214/13, KM-779.2; Gad-460.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
Link to:
- 1858-A franc
- 1859-A 20 centimes
- 1859-A 50 centimes
- 1859-A franc
- 1859-A 2 francs
- 1859-A silver 5 francs
- 1859-A gold 5 francs
- 1859-BB gold 5 francs
- 1859-A 10 francs
- 1859-BB 10 francs
- 1859-A 20 francs
- 1859-BB 20 francs
- 1859-BB 20 francs
- 1859-A 50 francs d'or
- 1859-BB 50 francs d'or
- 1859-A 100 francs
- 1859-BB 100 francs d'or
- 1860-A franc
- 1860-BB franc
- Coins and currency dated 1859