Continuing List To Show Everyones Latest Acquisitions

Have had my eye on this one for a while, finally decided I needed it badly enough to pay up .



It is a 2 decimes copper coin from the French revolution, part of the initial set of coins with the new franc denomination. 2 decimes = 2/10 of a franc, or 20 centimes as it was called later. Together with a 5 centimes and a 1 decime coin it was minted in 1795-96 (year 4-5 according to the revolutionary calendar, hence the "l'an 4" on this coin).

The decimal-centric revolutionary government decided that for small change copper coins like these, the weight in grams should be equal to the denomination. Thus the 5 centimes coin weighed 5 g, 1 decime/10 centimes 10 g, and 2 decimes 20 g. This was about half the weight of the older copper coins with corresponding values in deniers and sous and was conceived by the public as an attempt to fool them. In 1796 the 5 centimes and 1 decime coins were replaced by new coins with double weight (and the 2 decimes denomination was removed). The majority of the about 15 million 2 decimes coins were withdrawn and overstruck with the new 1 decime denomination, since they had the right weight for that. Most surviving 2 decimes coins are in worse condition than this one, so I am rather happy to have included it in my collection.

Nice additions!

Nice coins!

@NumisEd

Nice coins all the same!

It seems like the past year or so I've been putting a lot more attention into building my currency collection, which is easy to do at this stage since it's a fairly new passion! However, recently I've been going back and trying to fill some of the holes in my various U.S. coin type sets. A lot of this has been late-20th century to-date proof, reverse proof, SMS, and various anniversary "special finish" coins. Kind of boring and common stuff so I won't bother you with those.

However, yesterday I received two additions for my 20th century proof type set. The first is a 1936 satin proof Buffalo nickel, NGC PF66+ CAC. It has some subtle toning, mainly on the periphery of the obverse, so if fits in nicely with the rest of my Buffalo nickels. The toning is actually a bit lighter than it appears in my pics.


The second is a 1913 proof Lincoln Cent, PCGS PR66RB CAC. This is sort of an interesting one; my personal feeling is it would come back as BN if it was resubmitted. Depending on the lighting and the angle you hold it, the amount of red you see varies quite a lot on the obverse, but the reverse doesn't have much red remaining at all. With that in mind, I bid on the coin as if it were PR66BN CAC and, since I won the lot, I assume the other bidders were doing the same. Regardless, it's a very attractive coin in-hand.

Thanks, datadragon!


Back in the late 1960's, I remember occasionally finding wheat cents from the '20's, and a few from the teens (and I remember finding a 1917 cent in my grandparents large garden as I was tilling it one time in the early 1970's). Never an old proof, however!
Finding a 2008 satin finish, or actually any coin not released for circulation, is always a good thing!

Thanks, Dearborn! I've been looking for a matte proof Lincoln for a long time and I'm quite happy with this one.