I help check off the common stuff....
And yes, apparently a small spider managed to find it's way into my scanner and die there. I'll wipe it off later.
"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." ― Isaac Asimov
Blog : https://parimalscoincollection.blogspot.com
I'll start off with a little gold coin; in fact, it is the little brother of the one posted by Mr.Midnight: 1911 France 10 Francs https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces6007.html
Suffice it to say that I had a choice between buying a gold 20 Francs, or this one plus a bunch of other coins; and I picked option number two. This was my MPCC Gold entry this year as well; made it to its category's semi-finals!
Anyway, moving on to a couple of more humble-looking coins: 1821 A France 1 Franc - Louis XVIII https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces2092.html
Very worn, but Le Franc (a brilliant French catalogue that beats whatever NGC can pump out, hands down!) lists this even in B at 70 euro. Most of even the common date/mintmark early French franc coinage (before Napoleon III) is quite expensive even in low grades; I was just lucky enough to find this in the UK, where a dealer let it go for a song.
1831 W France 1 Franc - Louis Philippe I (bare head) https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces2091.html
I've posted this coin before, for evaluations; but I really wanted to post it again. Like I said, early non-5 franc French silver coins are quite expensive relative to their post-1861 counterparts, and also relatively scarce too, especially in condition like this. Le Franc lists this type in TTB at 270 euro; CGB's archives reflect that. Also found in the UK for next to nothing. Lesson? Don't buy French coins in France.
My type (by design) collection of the 1795-1889 Franc Germinal 37mm, 5 Franc "écu d'argent" coins; or the entire "long 19th century" of France, in numismatic form:
Finally, to finish off, here is another gold coin (that is unfortunately far more lacking in aesthetic than the Roosters): 1855 A France 20 Francs - Napoleon III https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3390.html
His ugly mug just doesn't cut it I'm afraid.....
Hope you enjoyed them, thanks for your patience and viewing! (P.S. unfortunately my collection of pre-1795 French feudal and royalist coins is embarrassingly tiny... )
@sc.rednek
Perhaps not even arachnids are immune from the collecting bug?
@lainmac
If you think French coins are aesthetically pleasing, you must get familiar with French banknotes, especially the high denominations: https://www.cgb.fr/archive,billets-france.html
Here's a little bonus note, as a sample:
10,000 Francs 1952 "Génie"
Απόσπασμα: "CassTaylor"@Mr.Midnight
The wait is over!
@sc.rednek
Perhaps not even arachnids are immune from the collecting bug?
@lainmac
If you think French coins are aesthetically pleasing, you must get familiar with French banknotes, especially the high denominations:
https://www.cgb.fr/archive,billets-france.html
Here's a little bonus note, as a sample:
10,000 Francs 1952 "Génie"
I do have several French banknotes Sophie, but not the higher denominations, the french do aesthetically pleasing like no other country, even the early french stamps are stunning, but will stick with coins for the time being, banknotes and stamps i have very little interest in unless i find them cheap ( tight wad in other words).
was worth the wait to see your french coins!
people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening
Glad you enjoyed them! The "parade" really reflects the amount of turbulence and regime change throughout the 19th century in France; out of those 13, you can count 5 Republican coins, 3 Imperial ones, 3 Bourbon coins, and 2 July Monarchy "nondescript" ones.
About those three monsters before him.....
It might be of interest to you that Louis XVIII, bloated, gout-ridden and overweight; was called "the fat pig" by none other than Napoleon, and a British political cartoon from 1823 calls him flatteringly, "Old Bumblehead the 18th": (Do you realise how badly you have to mess up for the British to compare you unfavourably to Napoleon?! )
His successor Charles X is actually pretty striking, something about his hair maybe? Although he did end up having to flee to England of all places (where the three last French monarchs all died in exile in!) because of his conservative/reactionary policies.
Louis-Philippe, was initially well received as a compromise between the republicans and the monarchists; but as time wore on his popularity waned, and a cartoonist who was later jailed made a cartoon depicting him turning into a pear:
@lainmac
Well, the Italians might be a worthwhile contender for aesthetics; I'm going to be working on my Italian type collection even harder, before we reach the I countries. They did pretty well with their designs, considering that the period they were unified that I collect from, was ruled by a monarchy, which mandates that (nearly) all your coins have one face filled up by a portrait or monogram of sorts.
Απόσπασμα: "CassTaylor"About those three monsters before him.....
It might be of interest to you that Louis XVIII, bloated, gout-ridden and overweight; was called "the fat pig" by none other than Napoleon, and a British political cartoon from 1823 calls him flatteringly, "Old Bumblehead the 18th":
(Do you realise how badly you have to mess up for the British to compare you unfavourably to Napoleon?! )
ha! and for his part, Louis XVIII called Napoleon the "Corsican ogre", and thought himself very wise.
can't believe we are done with France. I wont have anything to post for many days after this, so I might have to add one more before midnight...
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
@Camerinvs
Not sure.... is it with the fleurs de lys?
Anyway, here are four of my five pre-1795 French silvers; four of which are "écus d'argent"; these span a period where four monarchs, all called Louis, ruled France for 180+ years (1610-1792):
1649 N France - Kingdom 1 Écu - Louis XIV (à la mèche longue) https://fr.numista.com/catalogue/pieces20024.html
Minted right after the Peace of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War, this coin was one of the first "écu d'argent" coins minted under the new currency standard adopted by Louis XIV's predecessor Louis XIII in 1641. The infamous Louis XIV was only 13 years old when this coin was minted, and his mother, Anne of Austria, served as regent until he reached his age of majority (upon which he dismissed his chief Minster and proclaimed he intended to "rule as well as reign", believing he ruled by the grace of God).
1727 B France - Kingdom 1 Écu - Louis XV (aux branches d'olivier) https://fr.numista.com/catalogue/pieces16357.html
Right after the Mississippi bubble nearly bankrupted many French investors, a decree set the value of the écu d'argent at 6 livres, or 120 sous/1440 deniers in 1726, that would last until the establishment of the Franc in 1795. Once again this coin pictures a monarch still too young to rule; Louis XV was only 17 at the time this coin was minted; he succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV in 1715, who had outlived both his son and grandson.
1758 A France - Kingdom 1 Écu - Louis XV (au bandeau) https://fr.numista.com/catalogue/pieces27738.html
The same Louis XV as above, but all grown up - and messing up France's global aspirations. He ended the previous European war with Austria (1740-48) with a treaty that gave back most of France's gains in the Austrian Netherlands (part of Belgium could have been French today!). Now he was engaged in the Seven Years' War (1756-63); and a year after this coin was minted (1759), France would suffer huge colonial defeats in New France (Québec), India, & the Caribbean. If we can trace the fact that English is now the modern day lingua franca (rather than French) to one point in time, it is to the Seven Years' War.
1790 A France - Kingdom 1 Écu - Louis XVI (aux branches d'olivier) https://fr.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5768.html
One of the last of its type to ever be minted, the year before this coin's creation (1789), Louis XVI had been forced to move from Versailles to the Tuileries, as well as accept constitutional limits on his powers, this being the preliminary stage of the (first) French Revolution. Let's just say that Louis XVI isn't known for his long reign....
@ Cass ─ Yes, the bottom fleur de lys. SanglierSFE on the French site explained it was caused by a double strike, 90º rotation.
Here are two French écus from shipwrecks: Le Chameau (1725) and L'Auguste (1761). So, these coins were used in New France but on their way back to France as payment for some goods or services or taxes. L'Auguste was leaving a year after the British conquest.
Απόσπασμα: "Iainmac"Bottom 3 tokens are very nice ZacUK.
what price would you expect to pay if you could ever find them?
Thanks - I looked up the prices I got them for in January last year ...
1731 was EUR 17.60 [£15.66]
1737 was EUR 17.60 [£15.66]
1759 was EUR 24.00 [£21.35]
all individually from the same seller (in France) at the same time, so saving postage.
@Beekeeper
If I ever do get a coin from France - Feudal (which is actually when you should have posted it, but nevermind )
I think I'd like it to be from the Comtat Venaissin like your first coin there.
I waited a little while, but since it seems this issuer is less common than France, I will go ahead and post all four non-essai coins from the Restoration and July Monarchy:
The First World War completely disrupted the economy and the germinal franc system based on a correspondence of the value of money to metal reserves (gold and silver), and so gold, silver and bronze coin got a lower face value than their metallic mass therefore they were systematically hoarded by individuals creating a lack of circulating money.
Shortly after, the government authorized the Chambers of Commerce,
the cities, group of communes,
departments, regions,
trade associations and even certain private individuals like bars,
bakeries etc... to issue notgeld currency.
There was also stamp money :
When switching from Franc to Euro,
many fantasy coins were issued,
up to 100€
Just like French Notgeld, this is an issuer that has somehow been evading my grasp.
Although this time it is less my fault, since Guadeloupe coins are far more scarce and expensive than French Notgeld.
I'm actually a little bit doubtful; other than Joséphine being born in Martinique, there seems to be no other reason to put her on the coin? Maybe to model the effigy of Marianne after her, sure but I don't know if it really is her.... I'll look for some evidence.
Απόσπασμα: "Camerinvs"I learned from halfdisme that the effigy on the observe is actually Joséphine, Napoléon's first wife and a Martiniquaise.
Yeah, I have a feeling we read the same post!
https://en.numista.com/forum/topic73608.html
I'm actually a little bit doubtful; other than Joséphine being born in Martinique, there seems to be no other reason to put her on the coin? Maybe to model the effigy of Marianne after her, sure but I don't know if it really is her.... I'll look for some evidence.
I didn't know this had been brought up in that recent thread. He actually told me via DM a month ago when I started to discuss my "WOC" (Women On Coins) idea of a collection.
I'm sure it would be possible to research this and find the source of this claim. If there are official documents, then OK. Otherwise, it will just be a folk tale, interesting for what it reveals about how people "read" coins, but not as a fact.
By the way, there are claims that she wasn't even born on Martinique but St. Lucia.
There are many references to this information on the web but I didn't find an official reference. The obverse bust of Josephine (Napoleon's first wife, who was born in Martinique)
Portrait of Josephine 1790 by Michel Garnier
Coin 1897
After all, who else would be more suitable on coins of Martinique?
Unfortunately the historical context does not plead in favor of such a thesis because France is in the third republic for 20 years on 1897 ...
But this is a lovely legend and we can still believe it ... until proven otherwise
I provided some thoughts on the French site. Among other things, I see no problem in the use of an "imperial" portrait during the Republic, especially that it is not formally identified as Joséphine.
It seems very likely to me that the Garnier portrait inspired the die sinker.
Still, I am not yet making any claim on one or the other side of the debate. It would be necessary to find earlier and better sources.
Απόσπασμα: "Camerinvs"@CassTaylor and FrenchLover
Still, I am not yet making any claim on one or the other side of the debate. It would be necessary to find earlier and better sources.
I saw your post over there about Louis-Philippe and the July Monarchy taking advantage of the propaganda value of the return of Napoléon's body from St. Helena. It's not completely unreasonable to assume that by 1897 the association with the 1st Empire was far enough removed anyway to make modelling the bust off of Joséphine acceptable, either.
But the most likely soulution IMO is that it's an urban legend circulating in Martinique, that may be true (depending on the engraver's intent) or not.
My 1943 1 franc is also an ugly coin, and I am also very fond of this rooster.
I have been watching out for better ones on auction sites, and I have become convinced there are chinese fakes out there now, so I am content with my corroded old ones for now.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
Απόσπασμα: "Mr. Midnight"My 1943 1 franc is also an ugly coin, and I am also very fond of this rooster.
I have been watching out for better ones on auction sites, and I have become convinced there are chinese fakes out there now, so I am content with my corroded old ones for now.
Besides, it is a coin with an highly historical interest. You can read on this coin:
Free French Equatorial Africa ! the seed of the reconquest.
Απόσπασμα: "Mr. Midnight"My 1943 1 franc is also an ugly coin, and I am also very fond of this rooster.
I have been watching out for better ones on auction sites, and I have become convinced there are chinese fakes out there now, so I am content with my corroded old ones for now.
Besides, it is a coin with an highly historical interest. You can read on this coin:
Free French Equatorial Africa ! the seed of the reconquest.
Very true!
After the fall of metropolitan France in June 1940, French Equatorial Africa (AEF) (with the exception of the area around Gabon) was one of the first French colonies to declare it's allegiance to Charles de Gaulle's Free France, alongside French India and the New Hebrides (condominium with the British).
Few people know this, but at the time the Governor General of part of AEF (Chad, specifically) was a black Frenchman from French Guiana, Félix Éboué. He was instrumental in developing support for Free France in the colony, despite his wife and children being put at risk in Occupied France. After his death in 1944, a banknote was issued bearing his visage in 1961 to honour him:
1901 A French Indochina 2 Sapèque https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces11331.html
Vietnamese cash coins continued circulating amongst French Indochinese currency well after Vietnam became a French protectorate in 1885; 1 Cash was known as a Sapèque, and was worth 1/1000th of a silver Piastre (or Tael). This coin is worth 2 Sapèque, and therefore 1/500th of a Piastre.
1931 French Indochina 1 Piastre https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces11288.html
A one year type, but the most beautiful French Indochinese coin ever made in my opinion. The Marianne bust used here rivals its contemporary, Pierre Turin's as used on 10 and 20 Franc coins of Metropolitan France.
1947 French Indochina 1 Piastre https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4509.html
The last type of Piastre coin minted by French colonial authorities, the "Union Française" was an attempt by the French Fourth Republic to maintain it's colonies by granting citizenship and equality to all colonial subjects. By 1947 Ho Chi Minh's communist guerillas had already begun fighting for independence, however, and this gesture came far too little, and far too late.
could you please teach me how you take such amazing pictures? mine's all crappy what camera do you use? how's the set up, etc..
do you work with photography professionally, or is it just a hobby?
Απόσπασμα: "ngdawa"could you please teach me how you take such amazing pictures? mine's all crappy what camera do you use? how's the set up, etc..
do you work with photography professionally, or is it just a hobby?
Maybe someone could open up a separate thread for coin photo techniques?
However, the best bet might be to go over to the CCF coin photography subforum (https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=81) and look around, and register if you want to ask questions. CCF is many times more active than Numista (and doesn't have problems with very long threads). The are a number of world-class coin phogtographers there, mainly rmpsrpms (Ray M Parkhurst), SsuperDdave, jtlee (a pro), and Austrokiwi.
- Once you get a basic macrophotography setup working right, the most important thing for coin photography is lighting.
- You don't need a fancy full-frame DSLR for coin photos (unless you're a pro like jtlee), but you need to a camera that can do critical focus using magnified liveview on the computer monitor.
- Some coins are hard to photograph and some are easy -- this 5 francs coin has matte surfaces, making it easy to photograph.
- Mark Goodman has a book called "Numismatic Photography" -- it's mostly about lighting .
cheers for the reply, phfoticus! i am a member on ccf, but haven't been there active in years!
i am basically using my phone..my camera broke when i was in okinawa 3 years ago, and i haven't bothered to buy a new one..this is usually how my photos ends up with my phone:
this one is shot by a simple digital camer from early 2000:
Απόσπασμα: "ngdawa"
i am basically using my phone..my camera broke when i was in okinawa 3 years ago, and i haven't bothered to buy a new one..this is usually how my photos ends up with my phone:
I don't think anyone (other than professional photographers and photography enthusiasts) has bothered buying a camera since camera phones became commonplace.
1954 100 Francs
1988 100 francs & 1965 10 francs Silver Beauties
1948 10f & 1933 5 F
1985 100 francs silver
1700's copper
1881 50 cent
) 
)
group of communes,
regions, 
and even certain private individuals like bars,
etc... to issue notgeld currency.
