How Far Back Can We Go? Seventh Edition! Ended At 1380 Waiting On 1379

great to see posting of coins from the French Revolution
thanks for some background info, erafjel

here a few more pieces from the French Revolution:
one piece of 2 sols and two pieces of 1 sol, engraven by Dupre, already show by Numisrob is sol "à la balance" (because of the scales on the reverse) - these are also known as sol "à la table de loi" (tablet on the obverse)





next a 2 sols minted during the siege of Mayence (Mainz) as the reverse indicates: MONOYE DE SIEGE DE MAYENCE
Mainz (Germany) was taken by the Rhine army led by General Custine in October 21, 1792 (AN II) and 6 months besieged by the Prussians who recaptured the city on July 22, 1793. The French soldiers and their general were expelled back to France. The latter was guillotined in Paris for treason, we were in the final days of the "reign of terror".


finally a test issue (Pièce d'Essai) of 2 sols in copper, also engraved by Dupre, from the Convention period

it looks like the silver 6 livres posted by erafjel, but this piece was made from copper

I've got some French coins around somewhere, and a couple of jetons. I'll post at least one French coin at the end of this post.

A couple more tokens first:

1793 Halfpenny Token
Isaac Newton





1793 Halfpenny Token
D&H Hampshire 11
Emsworth






1793 Halfpenny Token
D&H North Wales 1b (Amlwch)
Contemporary imitative issue; ex: Gerson/Brown




And a "disasterpiece" of a coin
1793 BB 2 Sols (L'an 5)

here my favorites of the French Revolution, a series of Monnerons, different common types;

Copper was scarce in those days in France. Church bells had already been melted to produce the copper pieces like the "balance" 1 or 2 sols.
The Monneron brothers, bankers and politicians, noticed an opportunity to do good business. So with the help of private company in England (Boulton mint) the Monneron was produced in great quantities and shipped to France. THe 5 sols is a big piece, a taler sized heavyweight (±30 grammes), that needed a powerful machine for production: Boulton owned the first mint powered by a James Watt steam engine.
The face value of 2 or 5 sols indicated also they were exchangeable into so called Assignats, the fiat currency of those days which were I Owe You papers, like todays currency. The fiat of these Assignats did not last long as expected.

5 sols: this one has nice copper red hues



5 sols some verdigris



5 sols yellow brown hues



the edges of these pieces are also special: it is mentioned in which departments of France they were legal tender


here two examples of 1792 2 sols Monnerons: it reminds the user that it was the period of the French Revolution :-)



the legal tendership did not last for long and the Monneron brothers had to flee from Paris to escape the guillotine

these pieces are not rare and not expensive, a great item to collect :-)
tonight I will post some rarer types

great coins, erafjel !

what is displayed on the Obverse of the 5 sols "Monneron à l'Hercule" is interesting;
As discussed by professor Wayne Hanley (Lincoln University of Missouri) Hercules has been often used in the metallic propaganda of the French Revolution as a personification of the strength of the French Republic. Erafjel mentioned the silver Hercule piece from the end of the 18th century. Even quite recently taler sized 50 fr pieces with Hercules were made (1974-1980) by the mint of the French Cinquième Republique.

But in this 5 sols Monneron the idea of strength leaps one level higher as explained above by erafjel. The tremendous force of Hercules is not enough to break the spirit of the French Revolution. And, as a matter of fact, it took many coalitions of virtually all other European states, in particular England, Prussia and Austria, to stop the French expansion, finally in Waterloo 1815.

below are two other 5 sols "Monnerons à l'Hercule"



finally one example of a 2 sols "Monneron à l'Hercule" on which the obverse is closer to the classical concept of Hercules personalizing the nation and the revolution which ended the time of despotic kings:
Obverse: LA SAGESSE GUIDE SA FORCE (his wisdom guides his strenght). Hercules bending the fasces. A l'exergue LA FIN DU DESPOTISME.
Reverse : Pyramid RESPUBLICA GALLICA ANNO 1mo // AERE PERENNIUS 1792.
according to some experts of Monnerons, this piece was produced later than the 1791/2 period



It would be great if someone can explain the Republica Gallica calender (starting apparently in 1792)

Those are really nice 5 sols Monnerons!


And that is an interesting piece. Considered a pattern by some, since it does not state a value. But there isn't too much information about it, really. The Respublica Gallica Anno Primo - "First year of the Gallic Republic" - must be a reference to the revolutionary calendar, or republican calendar as it is also called. That is, the calendar introduced when the 1st republic was proclaimed and which has its year 1 from Sept 22, 1792 to Sept 21, 1793. Aere perennius 1792 - "Perennial era" (beginning 1792), I guess is the meaning.

The dating of the coin is problematic. Emergency money of this kind was forbidden in Sept 1792, that is, before introduction of the republican calendar. And this coin must reasonably have been minted after the introduction of that calendar. Maybe it is indeed a pattern, intended for a potential return to the French market?

1791 United Kingdom Spade Guinea of King George III:

Lovely spade guinea, NumisRob!

France 1791, 2 sols, Paris/Couvent des Barnabites (A with dot).



1791 is a transitional year for French coins. The old royal coins are still struck, but new designs like this one begin to appear. It is two years after the revolution and Louis XVI still sits, but stripped of the absolute powers he used to have. The coins no longer say that he is "King of France by the Grace of God" - he is now ROI DES FRANÇOIS, "King of the French." Meaning, the French can do away with him, if they want (and it is only one more year before they do). Also, the inscription is in French, not Latin as it used to be. The reverse states LA NATION LA LOI LE ROI - "The Nation, The Law, The King," in that order.

By this time, production of bronze coins from melted church bells was in full swing. This coin was made in a temporary mint set up in the Church of Barnabites, located on the island Île de la Cite in Paris (where also Notre Dame is located). Its bells fell victim to the money making, possibly in this very coin.

France 1791, 1 sol, Paris (A).

Still during the second half of 1791, pre-revolutionary coins like this are minted.