France 1868-A 20 francs

Ponterio sale 164, lot 678

photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

from the Mountain Groan Collection

The first specimen was lot 678 in Ponterio sale 164 (New York, January 2012), where it sold for $373.75. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. 20 Franc, 1868-A. NGC MS-63." This specimen is a common date of a series struck 1861-70 during the régime of Napoleon III. All 85 million were struck at the Paris (mintmark "A") and Strasbourg (mintmark "BB") mints. All dates are readily available altho gems are scarce. This type is commonly called the "Laureate head." After the collapse of Napoleon's empire during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was superseded by the "Génie" type of 1871-98. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One.

Recorded mintage: 9,281,000.

Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, 21 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE, designed by Albert Désiré Barré (1818-1878).

Catalog reference: Fr-584; KM-801.1.

Source:

Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
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, 2013.
Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
^[1]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 164: The January 2012 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2011.

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France 1868-A 20 francs

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