France 1963 50 centimes

from the Mountain Groan Collection

This specimen is a common date of a type struck at the Paris mint 1962-64. It was meant to replace the fifty francs of the Fourth Republic but is slightly lighter and smaller. This type was demonetized in 1965 to make way for the superseding nickel half franc. As the old fifty francs was not retired until 1966, that means this type did not survive as long as its predecessor. This date comes in "three fold" and "four fold" varieties, referring to the front of Mlle Liberté's gown.

Recorded mintage: 62,482,000.

Specification: 7 g, aluminum bronze, 25 mm diameter, designed by Henri Lagriffoul and Adrien Dieudonne.

Catalog reference: F.197/4, KM 939.2.

Source:

• Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.

Link to:

• 1954 50 francs
• 1962 50 centimes
• 1963 5 centimes
• 1963 10 centimes
• 1963 20 centimes
• 1963 5 francs
• 1964 50 centimes
• 1966 ½ franc
• Coins and currency dated 1963