France 1873-A 5 francs
The first specimen was lot 22154 in Ponterio sale 169 (Baltimore, November 2012), where it sold for $123. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 5 Francs, 1873-A. PCGS MS-65. Toned." A complete set of this type comprises 24 date and mintmark combinations. The entire production run, 1871-78, totaled about 73 million pieces. Only two mints struck this type: Paris ("A") and Bordeaux ("K"). This date is the most common silver five francs of the entire series. This issue consumed 612 metric tons of silver and 68 metric tons of copper. It was demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate in the 1920's.
Recorded mintage: 27,192,181.
Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, .7234 troy oz AGW, 37 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE, after a design by Augustin Dupré (1748-1833).
Catalog reference: KM-820.1; Gad-745A, F.334/9, Dav-92.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- 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.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc IX: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2012.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 169: The November 2012 Baltimore Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers, LLC, 2012.
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