France L'AN4-K decime
This specimen was lot 43258 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $10,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Directory. Bronze Décime, Year 4-K (1795/6). Bordeaux Mint. PCGS MS-65 Brown. Presenting phenomenal quality, this staggering RARITY presents true Gem-like quality and dazzling brilliance, with a very crisp strike as well. Coming as no surprise, this example stands as the only such representative in the PCGS census. About this specimen, Margolis writes that it is "...a great rarity, like the 2 décimes, L'AN 4-K. Seemingly a specimen or presentation piece. The only listing I am aware of was an FDC example in the Bramsen collection, lot 181," and asks "...might this have been struck in Paris rather than Bordeaux?" From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Ulf Nordlinds in Stockholm on 3 June 1985 for $568)." The numismatics of the bronze coinage of the First Republic of France is complex. For the five centimes, the first issue (An 4-5) was 5 g, 23 mm diameter and was immediately rejected by the populace along with the 10 g décime (10 centimes) and the 20 g double décime (20 centimes). During An 5, the government tried again with larger coins, increasing the 5 centimes to 10 g and the décime to 20 g and abandoning the double décime. The revised types met with some success and they were issued in substantial numbers until An 9. Leftover stocks of light weight décimes were overstruck into five centimes and double décimes converted into décimes. In all, about 114 million were produced for the type. They circulated until the 1850's and today few are found in Very Fine or better. This date is now rare as most were restruck into five centimes.
Recorded mintage: unknown but a very rare date.
Specification: 10 g, copper, 28 mm diameter, chevronned edge.
Catalog reference: KM-636.4; Gad-184; F.126/4.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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, August 2025 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Richard August Collection and the Richard Margolis Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
Link to:
- L'AN 4-A 5 centimes
- L'AN 4-T 5 centimes
- L'AN 4-W 5 centimes
- L'AN 4-A décime (small module)
- AN 4-A décime (counterstamped)
- AN 4-D décime
- L'AN 4-A 2 décimes
- L'AN 4-A 5 francs
- France L'AN 5 centime pattern
- L'AN 5-A large 5 centimes
- L'AN 5-BB large 5 centimes, restruck over un décime
- L'AN 5-I large 5 centimes
- L'AN 5-R large 5 centimes
- L'AN 5-W large 5 centimes
- AN 5-A décime
- AN 5-B décime
- AN 5-BB décime
- AN 5-D décime
- AN 5-I décime
- AN 5-W décime
- Coins and currency dated 1795