French Indochina 1889-A 10 cents
This specimen was lot 71483 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2020), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRENCH INDO-CHINA. 10 Cents, 1889-A. Paris Mint. PCGS PROOF-64 Gold Shield. A sharply struck low mintage near-Gem little minor offering much reflectivity with frosty devices displaying a hint of tone. A tough to find issue that seldom appears on the market in any grade sure to catch the attention of many collectors." This ten cent piece is one of a type issued for French Indo-China during 1885-95. The type was reduced to 2.7 grams in 1895 and issued in that form until 1898, when the fineness was reduced to 835 thousandths. French Indochina was occupied by the Japanese in 1940. French attempts to reoccupy the area after World War Two were challenged by Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh, leading to French defeat and withdrawal in 1954. The colony was divided into Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Recorded mintage: 100 proofs.
Specification: 2.721 g, 0.900 fine silver, .0787 troy oz ASW, designed by Barré.
Catalog reference: KM-2; Lec-131.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The October 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
Links to: