France 1895-A 10 francs
This specimen was lot 1034 in Jean Elsen sale 122 (Brussels, September 2014), where it sold for €85 (about US$130 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
" FRANCE, Troisième République (1871-1940), AV 10 francs, 1895 A, Paris. Type Cérès. Très Beau à Superbe. (France, Third Republic (1871-1940), gold ten francs of 1895, Paris mint, Cérès head. Very fine to extremely fine.)"
This diminutive coin is a gold piece of the modern French series. Thirty pieces were struck for the Universal Exposition of 1878 and one hundred more for the Universal Exposition of 1889. All are proofs and none were issued for circulation. More were issued for circulation in 1895-96 and 1899; these are readily available for collectors.
Recorded mintage: 213,999.
Specification: 3.23 g, 0.900 fine gold, 19 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Louis Merley (1815-1883).
Catalog reference: Gad-1016; Fr-594, F.508/3; KM 830.
- 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.
- [1]Philippe Elsen et al., Vente Publique 122: Collection de monnaies chinoises, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S. A., 2014.
- 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.
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