France 1916 2 francs

from the Mountain Groan Collection

This specimen is a common date of a series struck 1898-1920 during the Third Republic. This type, known as "La Semeuse," superseded the "Cérès head" design of 1870-95. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One. All were struck at the Paris mint except for a few struck at Castelsarrasin in 1914. "La Semeuse" also appeared on contemporary fifty centimes and one franc coins; she was so popular than she was revived for the coinage of the Fifth Republic (1959-99).

Recorded mintage: 17,886,653.

Specification: 10 g, 0.835 fine silver, .289 troy oz AGW, 27 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Louis Oscar Roty (1846-1911).

Catalog reference: F.266/18, KM 845.1, Gad-532.

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:

• 1915 2 francs
• 1916 centime
• 1916 2 centimes
• 1916 5 centimes
• 1916 10 centimes
• 1916 25 centimes
• 1916 50 centimes
• 1916 franc
• 1917 2 francs
• Coins and currency dated 1916