France AN12-Q 1/4 franc
This specimen was part of lot 71366 in Stack's Bowers June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2026), which sold for $488. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. Quartet of Quart de Francs (1/4 Francs) (4 Pieces), Years 12 & 13 (1803-05). Napoleon I. Grade Range: VERY FINE Details to ABOUT UNCIRCULATED Details. 1) Year 12-A. Paris. ABOUT UNCIRCULATED. Cleaned. 2) Year 12-M. Toulouse. VERY FINE. Scratched. 3) Year 12-Q. Perpignan. VERY FINE. 4) Year 13-K. Bordeaux. EXTREMELY FINE. Cleaned. SOLD AS IS/NO RETURNS. From the Richard Margolis Collection." This tiny coin was struck at Perpignan under the régime of Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France. It is a scarce date of a short-lived type (AN 12 only) that remains scarce today. The date reflects a ten year experiment of using the revolutionary calendar (AN 4-14) which set 1789 as year 1. The Perpignan mint did not strike this denomination again until 1807.
The quarter-francs of Napoleon ran thru a number of types, none of which are common (catalog numbers taken from Le Franc 10):
- F.157: Bonaparte Premier Consul (AN 12 only, 323,000 struck for the type)
- F.158: Napoleon Emperor, revolutionary calendar (AN 12-14, 519,000 struck for the type)
- F.159: Napoleon Emperor, Gregorian calendar (1806-07, 112,000 struck for the type)
- F.160: Napoleon Emperor, "Negro head" (1807-A only, 41,000 struck)
- F.161: Napoleon Emperor, laureate head, "République Française" on reverse (1807-08, 23,000 struck for the type)
- F.162: Napoleon Emperor, laureate head, "Empire Français" on reverse (1809-A only, 34,000 struck for the type)
Recorded mintage: 28,032.
Specification: 1.25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 15 mm diameter, engraved by Pierre-Joseph Tiolier.
Catalog reference: F.157/8, KM 653.8, Gad-342.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction - Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, the Richard Margolis Collection and the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Reales Minors, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2026.
Link to:
- An 12-A ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-BB ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-I ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-M ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-MA ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-T ¼ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-A ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-H ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-I ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-K ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-M ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-T ¼ franc, Empereur
- An 12-A ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-BB ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-D ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-G ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-H ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-I ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-K ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-L ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-MA ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-Q ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-T ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-U ½ franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-A ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-BB ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-H ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-I ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-K ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-M ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-T ½ franc, Empereur
- An 12-A franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-BB franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-D franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-G franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-H franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-I franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-K franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-L franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-M franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-MA franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-Q franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-T franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-U franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-W franc, Premier Consul
- An 12-A franc, Empereur
- An 12-B franc, Empereur
- An 12-H franc, Empereur
- An 12-I franc, Empereur
- An 12-K franc, Empereur
- An 12-M franc, Empereur
- An 12-Q franc, Empereur
- An 12-T franc, Empereur
- An 12-A 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-BB 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-G 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-H 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-I 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-K 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-L 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-M 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-MA 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-Q 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-T 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-W 2 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-A 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-B 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-BB 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-K 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-L 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-M 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-T 2 francs, Empereur
- An 12-A 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-B 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-BB 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-D 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-G 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-H 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-I 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-K 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-L 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-M 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-MA 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-Q 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-T 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-U 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-W 5 francs, Premier Consul
- An 12-A 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-B 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-D 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-H 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-I 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-L 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-M 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-Q 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-T 5 francs, Empereur
- An 12-A 20 francs d'or, Premier Consul
- An 12-A 20 francs d'or, Empereur
- An 12-A 40 francs d'or
- Coins and currency dated 1803