French Cochin China 1884-A 50 cent
This specimen was lot 24621 in Heritage sale 3026 (Long Beach, October 2013), where it sold for $9,400. The catalog description[1] noted, "French Colonial 50 Cents 1884-A, MS65 NGC, a choice piece with full mint brilliance and subtle toning in the legends. This low mintage date (10,000 struck) is highly elusive in mint state, and this example has exceptional eye appeal and is the first piece we have brought to auction." Cochin China, the French name for the part of Vietnam around the Mekong delta and Saigon, was conquered by them in the 1860's. Coins were issued for the colony in 1879 and 1884-85 before the region was reorganized as French Indochina in 1885.
Recorded mintage: 10,000 plus 100 proofs.
Specification: 13.60 g, 0.900 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 6.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Gadoury, Victor, and George Cousinié, Monnaies Coloniales Françaises, 1670-1988, 2me Éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 1988.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3026, World & Ancient Coins, featuring the RLM Collection, Part Two, the Nogales Collection and the Goetz Medals Die Archive, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2013.
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