France 1875-K 5 francs
This specimen was lot 1272 in Stephen Album sale 47 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2023), where it sold for $204. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE: Republic, AR 5 francs, 1875-K, better date/mintmark, obverse flan flaw, light tone and lustrous, Choice Unc." 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"). All silver five francs were officially recalled in 1928 but ceased to circulate in France after World War I. Bordeaux was the last of the old branch mints and closed in 1878. It had been closed previously, in 1862, but was reopened in 1871 after the Germans seized Strasbourg.
Recorded mintage: 1,661,440, a scarce date.
Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 37 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE, after a design by Augustin Dupré (1748-1833).
Catalog reference: Dav-92; F.334/16, KM-820.2.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 47, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2023.
Links: