France L'AN6-A centime
The numismatics of the bronze coinage of the French First Republic 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 (ten centimes) and the 20 g double décime (twenty centimes). During An 5, the government tried again with larger coins, increasing the five 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. However, the one centimes were struck AN 6 thru AN 8 with no change in type. They circulated until the 1850's and today few are found in Very Fine or better.
Paris produced all the one centimes for the First Republic. While numerous varieties are recorded for AN 6 and AN 7, none are listed for AN 8, which is a better date. The second specimen was lot 43298 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description[2] noted,
"FRANCE. Directory. Copper Centime Essai (Pattern), Year 6-A (1797/8). Paris Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-63 Brown. Plain edge. By A. Dupré. An EXTREMELY RARE pattern striking, this exceptionally Choice specimen presents vibrant luster and an alluring red-brown nature to the color palette. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Hans Schulman on 2 April 1958)."
Recorded mintage: 47,178,314[1].
Specification: bronze, 2 g, 18 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Augustin Dupré (1748-1833). The second specimen is 2.04 g.
Catalog reference: F.100/2 thru F100/8. The second specimen is Maz-313 (R2); Gad-75.(b); F-100/2.
- 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.
- Guilloteau, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, Colonies 1670-1942 et Metropole 1774-1942, Versailles, 1942.
- [1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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