France L'AN5-B decime
This specimen was lot 43259 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $4,560. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Directory. Bronze Décime, Year 5-B (1796/7). Rouen Mint. PCGS MS-65 Brown. The finer of just two observed for the type in the PCGS census, this exceptional Gem features rich red-brown allure and a crisp, clear strike, making it a wondrous representative for the advanced collector. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from UBS 53 in 2002). Ex: UBS 53 (1/2002) Lot # 1169." 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 somewhat scarce.
Recorded mintage: 2,040,472.
Specification: 20 g, copper, 32 mm diameter, decorated edge.
Catalog reference: KM-644.3; Gad-187; F.129/5.
- 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 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
- L'AN 5-A large 5 centimes
- L'AN 5-BB large 5 centimes, restruck over un décime
- L'AN 5-I small 5 centimes
- 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-BB décime
- AN 5-D décime
- AN 5-I décime
- AN 5-W décime
- L'AN 5-A 5 francs
- L'AN 5-BB 5 francs
- L'AN 5-K 5 francs
- L'AN 5-Q 5 francs
- L'AN 5-T 5 francs
- An 7-A 5 centimes
- An 7-W 5 centimes
- Coins and currency dated 1796