France (1793) 2 sols

from the Stack's Bowers 2024 ANA sale, lot 43195

from the Stack's Bowers 2024 ANA sale, lot 43203

The first specimen was lot 43195 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $720. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE. National Convention. Bronze 2 Sols Module Essai (Pattern), Year II (1793). Paris Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-64 Brown. Lettered edge. By F. Bernier. An EXTREMELY RARE original striking of the type featuring the ground line touching the inner rim on the left and pellets separating the incuse edge lettering rather than stars, this deep brown near-Gem stands as the only such representative of the type in the PCGS census, with Margolis noting that '...I have only noted four examples of this extremely rare original variety during the past sixty years or so.' From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Sabine Bourgey in Paris on 12 October 1993)."

The second specimen was lot 43203 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $720. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE. National Convention. Bell Metal 2 Sols Module Essai (Pattern), 1793. Paris Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-64. Plain edge. By A. Dupré. Highly brilliant and enticing, this near-Gem delivers exceptional beauty and flair, and no doubt represents on of the finest of the specific type that one can hope to encounter. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Marcel Platt on 13 July 1957)."

These are two of dozens of different patterns struck during the Revolution while the republican regime worked out what iconography it wanted on the coinage. Eventually, in 1795, all of the various liards, sols, livres and écus were dumped in favor of the franc and the centime.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: bronze, this specimen 27.34 g, the second specimen brass, 18.39 g.

Catalog reference: Maz-361a (R2). the second specimen is cf. Maz-335 (noted for 1792).

Source:

Ciani, Louis, Les Monnaies Royales Françaises de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI, avec indication de leur valuer actuelle, Paris, 1926 (reprinted in Barcelona, 1965).
Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
Guilloteau, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, Colonies 1670-1942 et Metropole 1774-1942, Versailles, 1942.

Link to:

France (1793) 2 sols

Navigation menu

Search