France 1979 10 centimes KM P630
This specimen was lot 20913 in Heritage sale 3005 (Long Beach, May 2009), where it sold for $431.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic gold Piefort 10 Centimes 1979, Proof 67 Ultra Cameo NGC, rare with a mintage of 300 in gold." France has long struck presentation pieces on extra thick planchets. This became a profitable business for the Paris mint, starting in the early sixties. Some disdain these issues, saying they are not part of the regular series; 'tis the collector's choice whether to include them.
Recorded mintage: 300 gold pieforts, 600 silver pieforts, 300 aluminum bronze pieforts. 140,000,000 struck for circulation.
Specification: 31.1 g, 0.900 fine gold, .900 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 929 (regular issue), KM P630 (gold piefort).
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Tucker, Warren, and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3005: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2009.
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