Guinea 1894 5 francs token
This specimen was lot 32093 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted, "GUINEA. Medallic Aluminum 5 Francs, 1894. NGC MS-62. A RARE medallic type, often referred to as a pattern, that was struck for the French entrepreneur Olivier de Sanderval during his attempt to establish in the area. Exhibiting no trace of the wear that is frequently seen upon the issue, with glossy luster present through the fields and scattered marks defining the assigned grade." Wikipedia comments, "Aimé Olivier de Sanderval (1840-1919), comte de Sanderval, was a French adventurer, explorer of West Africa, entrepreneur and author....He lived many years in the Labé and Timbo regions, and persuaded the almamy, the leader of the imamate of Futa Jallon, to grant him sizable territorial concessions. He had coins struck while trying to establish his own realm in the Fouta Djallon region in what is now Guinea." The SCWC says these were silver, Numista says these were aluminum. We think this is a silver pattern for a coinage that was to be aluminum but never came off.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 25 g, 0.950 fine silver, 37 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Lec-4; KMX-3.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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