Mauritius (1822) 50 sous
This specimen was lot 31155 in Heritage sale 3035 (Long Beach, September 2014), where it sold for $1,116.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "French Colony 50 Sous (1822) MS64 NGC. An appealing example of this one-year type with wholly lustrous, original mint surfaces and just a hint of toning. Noticeable adjustment marks are typical and do not detract from the overall appearance of the coin. A true, conditional rarity." The island was settled by the Dutch 1598-1710, then the French 1715-1810, then under British rule 1815-1968. Decimal coinage was introduced in 1877. The plants depicted are called trees in the SCWC but are more likely sugar cane, the major crop.
Recorded mintage: 286,000.
Specification: .500 silver.
Catalog reference: KM 2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, and Warren Tucker, Heritage Signature Auction 3035, World and Ancient Coins, featuring the FoxLair Collection and the Law Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
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