Westphalia 1808-J 5 franken Dav-931
This specimen was lot 42324 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $45,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Westphalia. 5 Franken, 1808-J. Paris Mint. Jerome Bonaparte. PCGS MS-65. An EXTREMELY RARE crown from the reign of Jerome Bonaparte in Westphalia, after being installed by his brother Napoleon, this tremendous Gem glows with electric blue and fiery orange tone, that glitters in the light and catches the eye when held in the light. The surfaces display essentially no signs of mark or handling, with much of the as made dielines evident. An impressive piece from the ever popular period in European history. Ex: CGB (12/2002) Lot # 1435." Jerome was made the puppet king of Westphalia by his brother Napoleon in 1807 and ruled there until French defeats forced his abdication. His reign is remarkable for the issue of the first decimal coinage in Germany, which included this five franken struck to the standard of the franc Germinal. It and the accompanying half, one, two and twenty franks are all rare, altho some of the copper three, five and ten centimes are common in low grade. Most of the region was returned to Hannover, which resumed the issue of the old fashioned pfennige, groschen and thalers.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 37 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Dav-931; KM-101.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [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.
Link to: