France 1868-A 10 francs
This specimen was lot 441 in Sincona sale 46 (Zurich, May 2018), where it sold for 140 CHF (about US$168 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANKREICH, II. Kaiserreich. Napoleon III. 1852-1870. 10 Francs 1868 A, Paris. Vorzüglich-FDC. (France, Second Empire, Napeleon III, ten francs of 1868, Paris mint. Extremely fine-uncirculated.)"
This specimen is a common date of a series struck 1862-68 during the régime of Napoleon III of France. All 31 million were struck at the Paris (mintmark "A") and Strasbourg (mintmark "BB") mints. Most dates are readily available altho gems are scarce. A variety of 1864-BB with a large mintmark is rare. This type is commonly called the "Laureate head." After the collapse of Napoleon's empire during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was superseded by the "Cérès head" type of 1895-99. It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate after World War One.
Reported Mintage: 3,324,729, a common date.
Specification: 3.22 g, 0.900 fine gold, 19 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Albert Désiré Barré (1818-1878); this specimen 3.22 g.
Catalog reference: Gadoury 1015. Schl. 375. Fr-586, F.507A/17.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zurich: Sincona AG, 2018.
Link to:
- 1868-A 20 centimes
- 1868-BB 20 centimes
- 1868-BB 50 centimes
- 1868-A franc
- 1868-BB franc
- 1868-A 2 francs
- 1868-A 5 francs
- 1868-BB 5 francs
- 1868-BB 5 francs d'or
- 1868-BB 10 francs d'or
- 1868-A 20 francs d'or
- 1868-BB 20 francs d'or
- 1868-BB 50 francs
- 1868-A 100 francs d'or
- 1868-BB 100 francs d'or
- Coins and currency dated 1868