France AN12-B franc

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Stack's Bowers 2025 NYINC sale, lot 34159
SB125-34159r.jpg

This specimen was lot 34159 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. Franc, Year 12-B (1803/4). Rouen Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS MS-63. The finer of just two observed for the date and mint in the PCGS census, this Choice minor delights with some pastel iridescence and displays a pleasingly frosted portrait of the emperor. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Maison Platt [Michel Kampmann] in Paris on 10 February 1987 for $245)." This issue, from the Rouen mint, is a rare issue of a type struck AN 12-14. A complete set of this type comprises 39 date and mintmark combinations, some very rare. During An 12, Napoleon promoted himself from First Consul to Emperor, causing a design change in the coinage. In 1806 the French revolutionary calendar was dropped and normal AD dating resumed.

Recorded mintage: 30,068[2]. Rouen did not strike any francs of the Premier Consul type.

Specification: 23 mm diameter, 5 grams, 0.900 fine silver, reeded edge. Designed by Pierre Joseph Tiolier, 1763-1819.

Catalog reference: KM-656.2; Gad-443; F.201/2.

Source:

  • [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
  • 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.
  • [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.

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