France 1900 2 francs
This specimen was lot 1775 in Jean Elsen sale 155 (Brussels, June 2023), where it sold for €550 (about US$721 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Troisième République (1871-1940), AR 2 francs, 1900, Paris. Type Semeuse. Rare. Très Beau à Superbe. (France, Third Republic, 1871-1940, silver two francs of 1900, Paris mint, Semeuse type. Rare, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)"
This type, known as "La Semeuse," superseded the "Cérès head" design of 1870-95. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One. All were struck at the Paris mint except for a few struck at Castelsarrasin in 1914. This date reintroduced privy marks which had not appeared on the 1898-1900 issues. "La Semeuse" also appeared on contemporary fifty centimes and one franc coins; she was so popular than she was revived for the coinage of the Fifth Republic (1959-99). This is the key date and the only one for which proofs are available.
Recorded mintage: 450,936 + 49,062 matte proofs.
Specification: 10 g, 0.835 fine silver, .289 troy oz AGW, 27 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Louis Oscar Roty (1846-1911).
Catalog reference: F.266/4, Gad-532, KM 845.1.
- 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.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 155, Collection Marc Bar et Distinctions de Jean-Baptiste Nothomb, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2023.
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