France 1807-BB 5 francs
TThis specimen was lot 34083 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $4,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Empire. 5 Francs, 1807-BB. Strasbourg Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS EF-40. A VERY RARE offering, this evenly circulated crown presents argent-gray surfaces and intense originality, all while standing as the only representative of the date and mint observed in the PCGS census. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Platt in 1983 for $704). Ex: Maison Platt (5/1993) Lot # 171." Shown is a Napoleonic five francs struck at the Strasbourg mint in 1806-07. It is a somewhat common type struck two years only. The various designs of Napoleonic five francs form eight distinct types of which this is the third, struck 1804-06 (AN 13-14) with a complete set of this type comprising 23 date and mintmark combinations, some very rare. This date is rare for the type, being priced 13 times the common date (1806-A). It was officially withdrawn from circulation in 1928 and demonetized in 2005 but ceased to circulate in France after World War One.
Recorded mintage: 1,284[2].
Specification: 25 grams, 0.900 fine silver, 37 mm diameter, edge lettered DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE. Designed by Nicholas Brenet, 1770-1846, and Jean-Pierre Droz, 1746-1823.
Catalog reference: Dav-83; Sobin-55; KM-673.3; Gad-581; F.304/13.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
Links to:
- 1806-A 5 francs
- 1806-B 5 francs
- 1806-BB 5 francs
- 1806-I 5 francs
- 1806-L 5 francs
- 1806-M 5 francs
- 1806-Q 5 francs
- 1806-W 5 francs
- 1807-A ¼ franc
- 1807/6-K ¼ franc
- 1807-A ½ franc
- 1807-Q ½ franc
- 1807-A franc
- 1807-A 2 francs, bare head
- 1807-A 2 francs, laureate head
- 1807-I 2 francs
- 1807-W 2 francs
- 1807-A 5 francs, bare head
- 1807-A 5 francs, laureate head
- 1807-B 5 francs
- 1807-D 5 francs
- 1807-L 5 francs
- 1807-Q 5 francs
- 1807-T 5 francs
- 1807-U 5 francs
- 1807-W 5 francs
- 1807-A 20 francs
- 1807-A 20 francs, laureate head
- 1807-M 20 francs
- 1807-U 20 francs
- 1807-W 20 francs
- 1807-A 40 francs, bare head
- 1807-A 40 francs, laureate head
- 1807-I 40 francs
- 1807-M 40 francs
- 1807-U 40 francs
- 1807-W 40 francs
- 1808-L 5 francs
- 1808-MA 5 francs
- Coins and currency dated 1807