France 1891-A 10 centimes
The first specimen was lot 1231 in Jean Elsen sale 121 (Brussels, June 2014), where it sold for €45 (about US$72 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Troisième République (1871-1940), Cu 10 centimes, 1891 A, Paris. Superbe à Fleur de Coin. (France, third republic (1871-1940), copper ten centimes of 1891, Paris mint, extremely fine to 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. This date is common. 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 designed by Daniel-Dupuis (struck 1898-1921). All the bronze ten centimes pieces were demonetized in 1935.
Recorded mintage: 1,000,000.
Specification: 10 g, bronze, 30 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Eugéne-André Oudiné (1810-1887) and Joseph-François Domard (1792-1858).
Catalog reference: Gad-265a, F.135/36, KM 815.1.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 121, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2014.
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