France 1873-A 10 centimes
This specimen was lot 1596 in Jean Elsen sale 116 (Brussels, March 2013), where it sold for €140 (about US$213 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE, Troisième République (1871-1940), Cu 10 centimes, 1873 A, Paris. Fleur de Coin (France, Third Republic (1870-1940), copper ten centimes of 1873, Paris mint. Uncirculated.)"
The specimen shown is a ten centimes, Cérès head, of a type struck under the Third Republic of France 1870-98. The majority, including this one, are Paris mint issues but Bordeaux produced this type 1871-78. There are 45 dates in the series, some expensive but only the 1897-A with the fasces privy mark is rare. The 1873-A is a better date compared to the common issues of the 1890's but is not scarce. The total production for the series is about fifty million, compared to 258 million Napoleon III "bare head" ten centimes (1852-57) and 52 million "laureate head" ten centimes (1861-65). The Cérès head was replaced by the "Marianne" head by Daniel-Dupuis (struck 1898-1921). All the bronze ten centimes pieces were demonetized in 1935.
Specification: 10 g, bronze, 30 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Eugéne-André Oudiné (1810-1887) and Joseph-François Domard (1792-1858).
Recorded Mintage: 2,175,539[1].
Catalog reference: F.135/10, KM-815.1; Gad-265a.
- 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.
- [1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [2]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 116, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2013.
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