France 1915 25 centimes
This specimen was lot 71069 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $240. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. 25 Centimes, 1915. Paris Mint. NGC MS-68. Pop: 2, none graded finer by NGC. This Gem example is dripping with luster and exhibits a bare hint of toning." This specimen is a scarce date of a series struck 1914-17 during World War One. It superseded a 25 centimes struck in nickel 1903-05 (F.168 and F.169) that lacked a central hole. This coin was in turn superseded by a copper-nickel issue 1917-37. During the war, the five and ten centimes denominations were also switched to this Lindauer design with the hole. This coin is very common in circulated condition but hard to find choice.
Recorded mintage: 535,227.
Specification: 24 mm, 5 g, nickel.
Catalog reference: F.170/3, KM-867.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
- 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.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
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