France 1889-A 5 francs d'or

photo courtesy Bowers & Merena

This diminutive coin is the rarest gold piece of the modern French series. Thirty pieces were struck for the Universal Exposition of 1878 and forty more for the Universal Exposition of 1889. All are proofs and none were issued for circulation.

See also the ten francs d'or issued for the same exposition.

Recorded mintage: 40 pieces.

Specification: 1.61 g, 0.900 fine gold, 17 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Louis Merley (1815-1883).

Catalog reference: F.503/2, KM 829.

Source:

• 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 VIII: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2009.

Link to:

• 1889-A centime
• 1889-A 2 centimes
• 1889-A 5 centimes
• 1889-A 10 centimes
• 1889-A 50 centimes
• 1889-A franc
• 1889-A 10 francs
• 1889-A 20 francs
• 1889-A 50 francs
• 1889-A 100 francs
• Coins and currency dated 1889