France 1911 50 centimes
This specimen was lot 1042 in Jean Elsen sale 122 (Brussels, September 2014), where it did not sell. The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE, Troisième République (1871-1940), AR 50 centimes, 1911, Paris. Rare. Superbe à Fleur de Coin. (France, Third Republic (1871-1940), silver fifty centimes of 1911, Paris mint, Rare, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
This dime-sized coin was struck at Paris during the French Third Republic (1870-1940). It is a common date of a type struck 1897-1920. It is struck without mintmark and is the last type of fifty centimes to be struck in silver. Like all fifty centimes struck after 1864, the fineness was only .835. It was demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate in the 1920's. The catalog[1] notes 27 dates for the type, none rare. The issues of 1897-1900 are without privy marks, which were added in 1901. The total production for the series was 357 million, compared to 34 million for the preceding "Cérès head" type. Matte proofs were struck in 1897, 1898 and 1900; these are expensive. This date is scarce.
Recorded mintage: 1,329,504[1] (semi-key).
Specification: 2.5 g, 0.835 fine silver, 18 mm diameter, reeded edge. It was designed by Oscar Roty, 1846-1911. La Semeuse, or Sower, was so popular that the design was revived for the half franc of the Fifth Republic, struck in nickel 1965-2001.
Catalog reference: Gad-420, F.190/18, KM 854.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [2]Philippe Elsen et al., Vente Publique 122: Collection de monnaies chinoises, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S. A., 2014.
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