50 Centimes Bélaire
France
1870–1895
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$0.13
Based on Copper spot price ($6.07/oz) · 95.0% purity · 10g
Updated 10:08 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Years Minted | 1870–1895 |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 10 g |
| Diameter | 25 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the head of a woman symbolizing the Republic facing left, with the inscription 'LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ'.
Reverse
Displays the denomination '50 CENTIMES' in the center, surrounded by a wreath and the date below.
History & Notable Facts
The 50 centimes Bélaire coin featured a design by engraver Eugène-André Oudiné, whose work on the Republic's head showed subtle aging in later strikes, reflecting the wear of the era itself.
That head, with its Phrygian cap, symbolized liberty in a nation still reeling from the Franco-Prussian War. Minted in bronze at the Paris Mint, these coins used metal alloys that varied slightly by year, though records don't specify the exact composition for every batch. Production ran from 1870 to 1895, but exact mintage figures were lost in various archival fires, including one in 1871.
What surprises some is how unremarkable it was in daily use. A farmer might have used one to buy bread, then dropped it in the dirt. Not every coin tells a grand tale.
The Bélaire's edge is plain, unlike some contemporaries with reeding to foil clipping—a design choice that probably saved time, if not metal.
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