I've got quite a nice little collection going. A few mint state examples, but the majority in problem-free AU58. Here's the lowest graded coin so far, an 1858-BB graded by PCGS as AU55. The coolest part about it is the cost. Granted gold is pretty expensive at the moment, but nearly all of these (with or without laurels) trade for a small premium above melt now days in AU. Yet, some of them are incredibly rare. The example here with a mintage of only 1,928 pieces. To put that in context, compare it to an 1870-CC $20 piece with a mintage of 3,789 --or nearly twice the 1858-BB France 100 Franc coin mintage-- were it available in AU55 it would easily clear a million dollars at auction. That said, many of the dates of this series are tough to find, but very reasonably priced once located.
Here's another tough one, this one with laurels and a mintage of only 2,807 pieces. The reverse could pass for an MS62 in my opinion. Substantial amounts of orange and red tone attest to it never having been messed with.
I am now going 93 days straight....at work. That is a beautifull AV 100 Francs! I have a 1862-BB example/ hopefully will get a "bareheaded example" this year! John
93 days(!) I was off today and now consider myself fortunate in comparison. It was 115 degrees here in Las Vegas. Spent the afternoon reading by the pool and listening to the radio. Whenever a commercial break would come on, I would dive back into the pool. When it's 115 outside, your wet swimming trunks stay warm under water for about 25 seconds after diving in before the cooler water finally permeates them. Now that's what I call hot pants! Here's the most available date but in extraordinary condition. Mintage 103,330 pieces. Raw, these sell for spot at most coin shops, and I think that's part of the reason the other better dates are so inexpensive, dealers treat them like type coins without much concern about it possibly being a better date or mintmark. Quite understandable I suppose for a dealer buying 8% back of spot, all he cares about is turning his inventory as fast as he possibly can.
Pair of 1869 dated coins, one from Paris the other from Strasbourg. I frankly can't tell much difference between them in spite of the 5 point spread in grades. The reverse fields on the MS63 are satin and without descernible luster breaks. For wear, they're nearly identical. Probably more to the point, they were slabbed 15 years apart which probably tells you everything you need to know about the assigned grades...,,..
Another super premium quality AU58. Low mintage for the Paris mint, only 6,650 coins struck. Purchased from John Dannreuther at PCGS Members Only show after seeing it as his table in Long Beach a few weeks earlier and making a modest deposit on the coin. One can only speculate about which personality disorder was distracting the grader on this one, but if this coin isn't mint state I'll eat my spare tire rim and all.
A couple more from the Strasbourg mint, 1863 and 1866 . Mintage of 3,745 and 3,075 respectively. These two are about right for the grade, though I think the MS62-Plus is actually an MS63-Minus. Which reminds me of a certain mathematician who hated negative numbers so much he would stop at nothing to avoid them(!)
Much like Napoleon Bonaparte, the silver issues have the portrait facing the opposite direction of the gold coins. They are reversed for Napoleon III however, with his gold right facing instead of left facing as they were for Bonaparte. King Zog of Albania; same thing, gold and silver with opposite portraits. And then there was Nicholas II of Russia, who's portrait faces left on everything and which led to the Russian revolution and the rise of communism. (Which just goes to show you don't have to be woke to make up inaccurate historical distortions).
Now I know where all the French gold went. I have several french coins but only one gold. Thanks for the posts all. Be safe
my favorite from wiki: The defining characteristics of political Bonapartism were flexibility and adaptability. Napoleon III once commented on the diversity of opinions in his cabinet, united under the banner of Bonapartism. Referring to the leading figures in the government of the Second Empire, he remarked: "The Empress is a Legitimist, Morny is an Orléanist, Prince Napoleon is a Republican, and I myself am a Socialist. There is only one Bonapartist, Persigny – and he is mad!"
Once read a biography of Napoleon III. He was pretty much a degenerate. For anyone with the misfortune of climbing the government bureaucracy and being appointed as a minister or other close confidant of the "Emperor" --there was the certainty that their wife would be expected to sleep with Napoleon III even though it was widely known that he had syphilis. Had to be enough to make many question the wisdom of government service!! That all aside, his coins are still cool, and it has less to do with him than the very talented engravers and die sinkers at the Paris mint.
Not a 100 Fr but a 50 Fr. Still worth showing I guess (two different pics showing the coin in very different ways. I swear it's the same coin) Q