France L'AN8-G 5 centimes
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 (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 5 centimes and double décimes converted into décimes. In all, about 140 million were produced for the type. They circulated until the 1850's and today few are found in Very Fine or better. This specimen was lot 3392 in Sincona sale 20 (Zürich, October 2014), where it sold for CHF 200 (about US$251 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "5 Centimes An 8 (1800). Gutes sehr schön. (good very fine.)"
During An 8, this type was struck at Paris ("A"), Metz ("AA"), Strasbourg ("BB"), Lyon ("D"), Geneva ("G", shown here), Limoges ("I"), Bordeaux ("K") and Lille ("W"). Paris, Metz, Strasbourg and Lille are common.
Recorded mintage: 818,306[2].
Specification: bronze, 10 g, 28 mm diameter, "chevronned" edge, designed by Augustin Dupré (1748-1833), this specimen 10.19 g.
Catalog reference: D.T.269a, HMZ 2-357a, F.115/67, KM 640.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Numismatic Coins & Medals: Auction 20, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2014.
- 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.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
Link to:
- An 7-A 5 centimes
- An 7-W 5 centimes
- An 7-BB 1 décime
- An 8-A centime
- An 8-AA 5 centimes
- An 8-BB 5 centimes
- An 8-W 5 centimes
- An 8-AA décime
- An 8-BB décime
- An 8-I décime
- An 8-K décime
- An 8-W décime
- France L'AN 8-A 2 decimes pattern
- France L'AN 8-A 5 decimes pattern
- An 8-A 5 francs
- An 8-K 5 francs
- L'AN 8-Q 5 francs
- L'AN 8/5-T 5 francs
- L'AN 8-W 5 francs
- An 9-G 5 centimes
- Coins and currency dated 1799