Tunisia 1921 franc KM-247
The first specimen was lot 72836 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2020), where it sold for $115. The catalog description[1] noted, "TUNISIA. Franc, AH 1340 (1921). NGC MS-66. A scintillating Gem of the type, possessing gorgeous shades of green, yellow and orange color over vibrant, fully lustrous surfaces. Tied with one other example as the finest graded by NGC to date." This type was struck in 1921, 1926, 1941, 1945 anonymously, i.e., without mentioning the local puppet ruler. It is token coinage, the reverse script specifies 'BON POR 1 FRANC' meaning 'good for one franc'. By this point in Tunisian history, the Ottomans had lost influence and France had gained control through debt ownership, making the Tunisia a protectorate. Starting in AH 1308 / 1891 AD, all coins began showing both Arabic and French legends, and the denominations became decimal-based. All minting during the French protectorate period occurred in Paris (note the privy marks). This date was also struck in silver (KM 238).
Recorded mintage: 5,000,000.
Specifications: 4 g, aluminum bronze, 23 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-247; Lec-237.
- Gadoury, Victor, and George Cousinié, Monnaies Coloniales Françaises, 1670-1988, 2me Éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 1988.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [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.
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