French Gallery

This little coin is from Marseilles France.

GAUL Massalia
[Marseilles France]
AR Obol. 3rd Century B.C.

0.74 grams, 11 mm
Obv: Youthful Male Head (of Apollo?) facing left
Rev: Wheel with 4 spokes, M - A in two of the quarters
Grade: VF, Reverse nice lustrous tone & Obverse slightly off center.
Other: From Bruno’s Coins April 2013

 

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Me neither. Nice patina and uncleaned surface.

Very nice.

Mine are just average...

 

13th century "Black Death" jeton.

 

I really love this French design. This particular essai (trial) piece was for French Algeria, but it was also used on some French coins proper.

 

I really like the bronze coins from the late 1800s to the World War I period - the 5 and 10 centimes coins. I'm surprised no one posted any. I'm also surprised there doesn't seem to be much collector demand for them, because I think it's an attractive design. French coins in general don't seem to be super popular though.

 

Well, at least, they are popular in France !

Are you referring to those ?


Napoleon III Empereur (1852-1870) - 10 centimes 1862 A
Atelier de Paris (A)
NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR 1962, tête laurée a gauche
* EMPIRE FRANCAIS * DIX CENTIMES, aigle de face, les ailes deployees, A en dessous
Tranche lisse
10.02 gr
Ref : Le Franc VIII # 134/5




3° republique - 10 centimes 1872 A
Atelier de Paris (A)
* REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE * 1872, tête de Cérès a gauche
* LIBERTE * EGALITE * FRATERNITE, couronne de lauriers et d'olivier avec au centre 10 CENTIMES en deux lignes, A dessous
Tranche lisse
9.90 gr
Ref : Le Franc VIII # 135/8

Q

 

Indeed I am, along with the early 1900s style. I'm at work or I'd upload a picture. I've been assembling a collection of these and while some of the dates are tough to find, they usually only cost a few dollars.

 

That's rue HD. Because there are far less collectors in France than in the USA, and for some reason they're not really ready to pay big money for coins. From your side of the Atlantic ocean some of the rarest french ecus in good state of preservation will seem like bargains.

Q

 

WW 1 era francs.

 

Here are four common French coins that I recently picked-up in great condition on the cheap. The holders are not yet labeled but took these quick photos for this France Gallery thread.

The face of Liberty used on the 1955 100 Franc coin is one of my all-time favorites.

The 1974 10 Franc coin has zero contact marks. Perhaps it came from some type of mint set.

 

I like the 10 Francs Mathieu coins. Wouldn't mind owning the 1981, 1982 an 1983 years.

 

That Comoros coin is one I've never seen, but I like it.

Some of the modern French coins have surprisingly low mintages, which makes it really hard to complete a modern set.

 

I have a set of similar BU coins from all these French places. The obverse is common (like the two coins depicted) & the reverse of each coin is different.
Cameroon
French Eq Africa
French Somaliland
Madagascar
Reunion
Comoros
Togo
If you don’t have any, I could mail you a couple duplicates. They are not all made of aluminum.

 

I think I have coins from all those places, I just don't think I've ever seen that particular denomination.

 

I'll add one to that list...

Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1 franc and 2 francs.

 

Top is one of my favorite French designs.
The middle on is a 1924 French Morocco piece.
Bottom is French Tunisia 1908.

 

Here's the other modern bronze type that I think should be more appreciated than it is.

 

Vichy Regime (with the republican symbolics).
10 centimes 1941, zinc, weight - 2,5 g., size - 21 mm, thickness - 1,35 mm, mintage - unknown. Engraver: Edmond-Emile Lindauer. The single release only.

 

Vichy Regime (with republican symbolics).
1 franc 1941, aluminium-bronze, weight - 4 g., size - 23 mm, thickness - 1,7 mm, mintage - 34705492 pcs. Engraver: Pierre-Alexandre Morlon. The last release.

 

Fourth Republic (1946-1958).
10 francs 1949, copper-nickel, weight - 7 g., size - 26 mm, thickness - 1,74 mm, mintage - 111972500 pcs. Such coins were released at 1947-49.