France 1871-A 50 centimes

from the Mountain Groan Collection

from www.cgb.fr

This dime-sized coin was struck at Paris during the Third Republic of France (1870-1940). It is a better date of a type struck 1871-95. All issues are Paris mint except for the Bordeaux mint (mintmark "K") issues of 1871-73. Like all fifty centimes struck after 1864, the fineness was only .835. It was demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate in the 1920's. The catalog^[1] notes 16 dates for the type, three dates (1873-K, 1878-A and 1889-A) are rare. This date is not rare but is expensive by comparison with the common dates, 1888, 1894 and 1895.

Recorded mintage: 235,803^[1], 236,000^[2].

Specification: 2.5 g, 0.835 fine silver, 18 mm diameter, reeded edge. It was designed by Eugène André Oudiné, 1810-1887. This head of Cérès was originally used on the 50 centimes of 1849-51.

Catalog reference: F.189/1, KM 834.1.

Source:

• Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
• ^[2]Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• ^[1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.

Link to:

• 1868-BB 50 centimes "laureate head"
• 1871-A 5 centimes
• 1871-K 10 centimes
• 1871-K 50 centimes
• 1871-A franc
• 1871-K franc
• 1871-A 2 francs with legend
• 1871-K 2 francs without legend
• France 1871 5 francs Maz-926, pretender Henry V
• 1871-A 5 francs, Hercules type
• 1871-K 5 francs, Hercules type
• 1871-A 20 francs d'or
• 1872-A 50 centimes "Cérès head"
• Coins and currency dated 1871