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 Replies: 12 / Views: 10,790 |
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
Hello, I am a long-time viewer of the forum, but a new registered user. My father has been in the coin business for over 37 years and over the past 4 years I have been helping him in his shop. He has recently given me the opportunity to sort and sell foreign coins he has accumulated over the years - there isn't much of a foreign coin market in our small town of Somerset, PA. I am posting this because I have come across a 1949 5 Francs coin that I believe is from France, but I can't seem to find it in my Krause World Coin book. The coin definitely is not aluminium - it almost seems like lead. The coin weighs 13.2 grams and is the same size as its aluminum counterpart. I have even compared it to the aluminum coin, it seems to be exactly the same with the exception of the weight and luster. Any help identifying the variety of this 5 Franc coins and its value would be much appreciated. Regards, Alec Bittner    |
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
 are you sure the date is 1949? |
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New Member
 United States
9 Posts |
I am positive.
Obverse of the coin:
REPVBLIQVE FRANCAISE
A. LAVRILLIER (Which is in small letters)
Reverse of the coin:
RF
5 FRANCS
1949 (Both nines are closed)
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
I am not sure if I can post an external link, but this is to my personal website where I have specifically uploaded higher resolution photos. http://www.alecbittner.com/5-francs-coin.htmlI have scoured the internet looking for another example of this coin, but have been unable to find one. |
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Moderator
United States
14463 Posts |
reason why I was verifying the date, according to the Krause Catalog, 1949 5 Francs were aluminum and should weigh 3.75 grams, 31 mm wide
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
Yeah - that's what I also saw in the Krause catalog. That's why this coin is stumping me. I have tried looking under different French Colonies, but with no luck. I just can't seem to find this coin anywhere.
I have no idea where it came from. My dad could have acquired it anywhere from 1975 to a month ago - probably just in a bulk pile of world coins he bought. I thought maybe it is a magician coin or trick coin - something like that, but I don't know.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Curiously the Swiss 5 francs weigh 13.2 grams. Wrong planchet? No idea just throwing it out there... Nevermind in 1949 they were 15g....not 13.2 till 1967....Its late forgive me.  Edited by amida17
03/24/2013 10:59 pm
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
14463 Posts |
From Krause Catalog: France 5 Francs of that design: 1933-1939 nickel 12 grams 1938-1940 aluminum-bronze 12 grams 1945-1952 aluminum 3.75 grams 1945-1947 aluminum-bronze 12 grams  |
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
I think I remember my father saying something about being able to write on paper with the coin. So I tried that and here is the result:  I am not sure what that means, but I guess all clues help. |
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Valued Member
Belgium
83 Posts |
The fact that you can write with it, indicates that your piece is probably made of lead. This is consistent with the color of the coin and also the edge bump is quite easy to explain, since lead is a very soft (and heavy) material.
1949 is a very common year (at leats this variant with the closed 9's in the year), so it would surprise me if they have made any forgeries of this year. If I look to the pictures on your website, the details are very sharp and I therefore think we can also exclude a casting piece.
So it looks like a coin that is made with the original dies. I know that minting companies often use lead to check their dies before beginning of production, but in most cases these pieces are only one die (one side) on a piece of lead instead of a lead blank.
I looked it up in both Le Franc and Gadoury, but could not find any reference to it. I do not have a Gadoury edition that actually shows all patterns (essais), so maybe anybody with such a catalog cna have look into it.
This is indeed a very strange piece. The actual details of the piece look correct (although this should only be definitely judged with the piece in hand), but the metal and therefore the weight is incorrect.
I think the best thing to do is to forward your question to contact@lefranc.net or contact@gadoury.com
Both companies are seen as leading companies on French coins.
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
I have uploaded more pictures of the coin to the page on my website: http://www.alecbittner.com/5-francs-coin.htmlI am writing an email to contact@lefranc.net I will let everyone know when I get a response. I did my best to translate my question to French. Here is what I wrote: Bonjour, Mon nom est Alec Bittner. Je suis de American. Je suis désolé, mais je ne parle pas français mais je vais essayer d'écrire en français. Un membre du forum http://www.coincommunity.com recommandé que je vous contacte pour trouver plus d'informations sur une pièce de monnaie que j'ai trouvé. J'ai trouvé un 1949 5 francs pièce qui n'est pas en aluminium. Il pèse 13,2 grammes et je pense qu'il est le plomb. Je ne peux pas trouver toutes les informations sur cette pièce. Pouvez-vous me dire ce que j'ai trouvé? Quelle est la valeur de la pièce de monnaie? J'ai pris plusieurs photos haute résolution de la pièce et mettre les photos sur mon site. J'espère que les photos vous aider à identifier la pièce de monnaie. http://www.alecbittner.com/5-francs-coin.htmlIl ya aussi plus d'informations et des photos de la pièce de monnaie sur le forum http://www.coincommunity.comhttps://goccf.com/t/145767#1317449Si cela est possible pouvez-vous s'il vous plaît répondre en anglais. Merci pour votre aide. Alec Bittner |
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New Member
United States
9 Posts |
I heard back from Le Franc. I was told that it is probably a fake possibly made of pewter.
"Bonjour !
It's difficult to pronounce me because I need to get the coin in my hands and analyse it. But I think the coin could be a fake in pewter.
Best regards
Cordialement
Stéphane Desrousseaux
cgb.fr - Section Monnaies modernes françaises"
Do you think I should contact Gadoury as well?
Edited by laurelmountaincoin
03/26/2013 11:37 pm
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Replies: 12 / Views: 10,790 |
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Posted 03/24/2013 9:36 pm
