France 1868-BB 5 francs d'or

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Sincona sale 63. lot 959

This specimen was lot 959 in Sincona sale 63 (Zürich, June 2020), where it sold for 120 CHF (about US$150 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"II. Kaiserreich. Napoleon III. 1852-1870. 5 Francs 1868 BB, Strasbourg. Vorzüglich. (France, second empire, Napoleon III, 1852-70, gold five francs of 1868, Strasbourg mint. Extremely fine.)"

This specimen is a slightly better date of a series struck 1862-68 during the régime of Napoleon III, emperor of France. All 18 million were struck at the Paris (mintmark "A") and Strasbourg (mintmark "BB") mints. This is the smallest gold denomination struck in France and is very slightly lighter than the contemporary United States gold dollar. Most 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 After the collapse of Napoleon's empire during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was superseded by the "Cérès head" type of 1878-89 (essais only). It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One.

Recorded mintage: 726,994.

Specification: 1.61 g, 0.900 fine gold, .0467 troy oz AGW, 17 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Albert Désiré Barré (1818-1878); this specimen 1.61 g.

Catalog reference: F.502/14, KM 803.2, Gadoury 1002. Fr-589.

Sources:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2013.
  • [1]Richter, Jürg, Sincona sale 63: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2020.

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