France 1868-A 2 francs

Stack's Bowers February 2023 Collector's Choice sale, lot 73115

This specimen was lot 73115 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $168. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. 2 Francs, 1868-A. Paris Mint. Napoleon III. PCGS MS-62. A brilliantly lustered and gorgeously toned specimen, this wonderful example yields rich details and glimmering beauty throughout. Only limitedly handled and most charming, we expect fervent competition for this wonderful example." This is a common date of a series struck 1866-70 during the régime of Napoleon III. All 26 million were struck at the Paris (mintmark "A"), Bordeaux (mintmark "K") and Strasbourg (mintmark "BB") mints. Some of the 11 available dates are scarce, none are rare. 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 After the collapse of Napoleon's empire during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was superseded by the "Cérès head" type of 1870-95. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One.

Recorded mintage: 3,672,479.

Specification: 10 g, 0.835 fine silver, .289 troy oz AGW, 27 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Albert Désiré Barré (1818-1878).

Catalog reference: F.263/7, KM-807.1; Gad-527.

Source:

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, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.

Link to:

France 1868-A 2 francs

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