France L'AN5-AA decime
This specimen was lot 1370 in Jean Elsen sale 165 (Brussels, June 2026), where it sold for €650 (about US$895 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Directoire (1795-1799), Cu 1 décime, an 5 AA, Metz. Surfrappé sur 2 décimes, an 4 A. Très rare. Nettoyé. Très Beau. (France, Directory, 1795-99, copper one décime of the year 5, Metz mint, struck over a double décime dated year 4-A. Very rare, Very Fine.)"
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 worth about double the common date, An 5-A.
Recorded mintage: 218,463 refrappé (F.128/4) plus 5,944 fn (F.129/3).
Specification: 20 g, bronze, 32 mm diameter, decorated edge, designed by Augustin Dupré, this specimen 21,12 g.
Catalog reference: F.128/4, KM 644.2, Gad-185.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 165, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2026.
Link to:
- AN 4-A décime (small module)
- AN 4-A décime (counterstamped)
- AN 4-D décime
- AN 4-K décime
- L'AN 4-A 2 décimes
- L'AN 4-A 5 francs
- France L'AN 5 centime pattern
- AN 5-A large 5 centimes
- AN 5-BB large 5 centimes, restruck over un décime
- AN 5-I small 5 centimes
- AN 5-I large 5 centimes
- AN 5-R large 5 centimes
- 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
- AN 5-A 5 francs
- AN 5-BB 5 francs
- AN 5-K 5 francs
- AN 5-Q 5 francs
- AN 5-T 5 francs
- Coins and currency dated 1796