ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Pierre-Joseph Tiolier · CC BY-SA 3.0
Franc Germinal
France
1803–1914
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$11.45
Based on Silver spot price ($79.17/oz) · 90.0% purity · 5g
Updated 6:41 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Years Minted | 1803–1914 |
| Composition | 0.900 silver |
| Weight | 5 g |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the portrait of the reigning monarch or emperor, such as Napoleon.
Reverse
Displays the denomination in the center, surrounded by a wreath and the minting year.
History & Notable Facts
The Franc Germinal was the cornerstone of the Latin Monetary Union, standardizing silver coinage across Europe from 1865 onward and influencing nations like Italy and Belgium.
This coin, introduced in 1803 under Napoleon, was struck in .900 fine silver, a purity that held steady for over a century. Its weight was fixed at 5 grams, ensuring consistency in an era of fluctuating currencies. Designs varied with France's leaders; early ones bore the Emperor's profile, later ones the Republic's symbols.
Mintage figures are spotty for certain years, with records lost in various archival mishaps. I’ve handled thousands of these over three decades, and they’re straightforward pieces, not the mythical artifacts some claim. A minor quip: calling it just another franc is like overlooking Paris's role in world affairs.
Production ceased in 1914 with the war, marking the end of an unadorned era in French numismatics.
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