French Indochina 1901-A 20 cent

Heritage sale 3035, lot 30628

This specimen was lot 30628 in Heritage sale 3035 (Long Beach, September 2014), where it sold for $646.25. The catalog description^[1] noted, "French Colony 20 Cents 1901-A MS65 PCGS, Paris mint. Brilliantly lustrous surfaces awash in a mixture of iridescent hues of red, blue, and yellow. A premium example of this first-year in the series with an incredibly bold strike and instant eye-appeal." This twenty cent piece is one of a type issued for French Indo-China during 1898-1916. The type was reduced to 5.4 grams in 1895 and issued in that form until 1898, when the fineness was reduced to .835. 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: 1,375,000 (a better date).

Specification: 5.4 g, .835 silver, .144 troy oz ASW, designed by Barré.

Catalog reference: KM 10, Lec-204.

Source:

• 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]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.

Link to:

• 1900 20 cents
• 1901 2 sapeque
• 1901 piastre
• 1902 20 cents
• Coins and currency dated 1901
• return to French Indo-China