France 1857-A 50 centimes

Goldberg sale 69, lot 4738

This specimen was lot 4738 in Goldberg sale 69 (Los Angeles, May, 2012), where it sold for $287.50. The catalog description ^[2] noted, "France. 50 Centimes, 1857-A. Napoleon III. Bare head. Lovely reddish tone. NGC graded MS-64." This dime-sized coin was struck at Paris under the régime of Napoleon III (1852-70). It is a slightly better date of a type struck 1853-63. This type is distinguished from the later type (F.188) of 1864-69 by the absence of a laurel wreath on the emperor's head. It was demonetized in 1869. The catalog^[1] notes 16 dates for the type, some very rare.

Recorded mintage: 1,631,261^[1].

Specification: 2.5 g, 0.900 fine silver, 18 mm diameter, reeded edge. It was designed by Jean-Jacques Barre, 1793-1855.

Catalog reference: F.187/8, KM-794.1; Gad-414.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
• ^[1]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2013.
• ^[2]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Stephen Harvey and Paul Rynearson, Goldberg sale 69: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Ancient and World Coins, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2012.

Link to:

• 1856-D 50 centimes
• 1857-A centime
• 1857-K centime
• 1857-MA centime
• 1857-A 2 centimes
• 1857-D 2 centimes
• 1857-MA 2 centimes* 1857-A 5 centimes
• 1857-MA 5 centimes
• 1857-A 10 centimes
• 1857-A 20 centimes
• 1857-A franc
• 1857-A 2 francs
• 1857-A 5 francs
• 1857-A 10 francs
• 1857-A 20 francs
• 1857-A 50 francs
• 1857-A 100 francs
• 1858-A 50 centimes
• Coins and currency dated 1857