France 1891-A 5 centimes
This specimen was lot 74577 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $336. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 5 Centimes, 1891-A. Paris Mint. NGC MS-66 Red Brown. This coin's blazing copper-red luster displays a wonderful cartwheel effect on the obverse and shows hints of purple iridescence on the reverse. The beautifully intricate details of the obverse portrait can be admired in their full Mint State glory." The specimen shown is a five centimes, Cérès head, of a type struck under the Third Republic of France 1871-98. The majority, including this one, are Paris mint issues but Bordeaux produced this type in 1871-78. There are 41 dates in the series, with a few rare dates, most notably the 1871-K and 1878-K. The total production for the series is about 73 million, compared to 414 million Napoleon III "bare head" 5 centimes (1853-57) and 90 million "laureate head" 5 centimes (1861-65). The Cérès head was replaced by the "Marianne" head designed by Daniel-Dupuis (struck 1898-1921). All the bronze five centimes pieces were demonetized in 1935.
Recorded mintage: 1,600,000, common.
Specification: 5 g, bronze, 25 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Eugéne-André Oudiné (1810-1887).
Catalog reference: F.118/33, KM-821.1.
- 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 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The November 2022 Collectors Choice Ancient & World Coins Auction, Featuring the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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