France L'AN 6-BB 5 francs
This specimen was lot 43241 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $6,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "FRANCE. Directory. 5 Francs, Year 6-BB (1797/8). Strasbourg Mint. PCGS MS-62. Variety with narrowly-spaced "UNION". A Mint State stunner, this nearly-Choice Hercules crown provides intense flair and eye appeal, offering subtle iridescence paired with an alluring gunmetal gray backdrop. Not surprisingly, this only such representative of the type in the PCGS census. VERY RARE and highly impressive. From the Richard Margolis Collection (acquired from Stew Witham on 8 September 1970)." This specimen shown was struck at the Strasbourg mint during the French First Republic (1793-99) and was meant to replace the écu of the ancien régime after the execution of king Louis XVI. The Gregorian calendar was replaced by the revolutionary calendar. Year 5, shown here, comprised September 1796 thru September 1797. This "Hercules" type was struck until year 11 (1802-03) from numerous mints, tho only Paris is known for year 4. Le Franc[2] has reanalyzed the type, assigning it catalog numbers 287 thru 300, depending on the position of the obverse legend ("UNION ET FORCE"), the details of the oak wreath on the reverse and so forth. As each die was hand made, the varieties are as numerous as those of United States bust half dollars or early large cents. Overdates and repunched mintmarks and privy marks are common. The type was produced in the millions and is not rare in low grades but the price ascends rapidly with grade.
Recorded mintage: 65,325, a very scarce date.
Specifications: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 37 mm diameter, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: Dav-1337 or Dav-81; KM-639.2; Gad-563; F.287/13.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- George Sobin, Jr., The Silver Crowns of France, 1640-1973. Teaneck, NJ: Richard Margolis, 1974.
- [2]Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2025 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Richard August Collection and the Richard Margolis Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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