France 1823-W franc
This specimen was lot 1682 in Jean Elsen sale 147 (Brussels, June 2021), where it sold for €150 (about US$219 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANCE, Louis XVIII, seconde restauration (1815-1824), AR 1 franc, 1823W, Lille. Très Beau à Superbe. (kingdom of France, Louis XVIII, second restoration, 1815-24, silver one franc of 1823, Lille mint. Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)"
This issue, from the Lille mint, is a later date of a type struck 1816-24. All francs of Louis XVIII are of this type which, despite nine years of production from nine mints, is not common. It was demonetized in 1869. A complete set of this type comprises 66 date and mintmark combinations, many very rare. The entire production run, 1816-24, totaled about 4.3 million pieces. The production of French five franc pieces in the same period was 104 million. This is a common date.
Recorded mintage: 276,931[2].
Specification: 23 mm diameter, 5 grams, 0.900 fine silver, reeded edge. Designed by Auguste François Michaut, 1786-1879.
Catalog reference: KM 709.9, F.206/54, Gad-449.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 147: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.
Links to:
- 1822-A franc
- 1823-A ¼ franc
- 1823-B ¼ franc
- 1823-I ¼ franc
- 1823-W ¼ franc
- 1823-A ½ franc
- 1823-A franc
- 1823-A 2 francs
- 1823-I 2 francs
- 1823-K 2 francs
- 1823-A 5 francs
- 1823-L 5 francs
- 1823-W 5 francs
- 1823-A 20 francs
- 1823-W 20 francs
- 1823-A 40 francs
- 1824-A franc
- 1824-B franc
- 1824-W franc
- Coins and currency dated 1823