France 1896-A 5 centimes
This specimen was lot 525 in Sincona sale 69 (Zürich, May 2021), where it sold for 375 CHF (about US$498 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANKREICH. 3. Republik, 1871-1940. 5 Centimes 1896 A, Paris. Münzzeichen Fackel. Selten. Vorzüglich-FDC. (France, Third Republic, 1871-1940, five centimes of 1896, Paris mint. Privy mark torch. Rare, Extremely fine-uncirculated.)"
The specimen shown is a five centimes, Cérès head, of a type struck under the Third Republic of France 1871-98. The majority, including this one, are Paris mint issues but Bordeaux produced this type in 1871-78. There are 41 dates in the series, with a few rare dates, most notably the 1871-K and 1878-K. This date is common but examples of this date with the torch privy mark are rare. The total production for the series is about 73 million, compared to 414 million Napoleon III "bare head" five centimes (1853-57) and 90 million "laureate head" five centimes (1861-65). The Cérès head was replaced by the "Marianne" head designed by Daniel-Dupuis (struck 1898-1921). All the bronze five centimes pieces were demonetized in 1935.
Recorded mintage: 6,695,350 (torch plus fasces)[2].
Specification: 5 g, bronze, 25 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by Eugéne-André Oudiné (1810-1887); this specimen 5.00 g.
Catalog reference: F.118/38 (torch); Gadoury 157a, KM 821.1.
- 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.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 69, World Coins and Medals, Bullion Auction and Chinese Banknotes, Part 1, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2021.
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