a close up of a silver coin with a crown on it
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Estimate €3,000
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Description
GREAT BRITAIN Victoria (1837–1901). Ten-pence trial coin – One franc, smooth edge, by L. C. Wyon, burnished blank (PROOF) 1867, London. Obverse: VICTORIA D: G: BRITTANIAR: REG: F: D:. Crowned head facing left, (date) below. Reverse: TEN PENCE – ONE FRANC. Within a wreath formed of two oak branches, a crowned shield. Bull 3167 - Esc.1476; Silver - 4.62 g - 23 mm - 12 h This is the second-highest grade! NGC PF 62 (8772187-039). On a burnished (PROOF) blank with a smooth edge and medal-style strike. Only minimal marks on the obverse and an uneven patina, but the reverse is fully preserved with a lovely patina. Superb Proof / Proof. In 1867, Napoleon III’s France aimed to create a universal currency based on the franc germinal. The Universal Exhibition welcomed 7 million visitors from all over the world. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an international monetary conference with European countries, including Russia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as the United States. In 1865, the Second Empire had succeeded in establishing the Latin Union comprising France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. After two months of discussions, the project came to nothing, but a theoretical agreement was reached on a number of points: the standard was to be gold (abandoning silver); a fineness of 9/10ths with weights to be standardised; the decimal system (abandoning the duodecimal system); and a common monetary unit. France favoured a 25-franc gold coin, equivalent to around 5 US dollars – the USA having been the first country in the world to adopt the decimal system – as well as the English sovereign and the 10-florin Dutch coin. A deadline was set for 1868 to bring the project to fruition, but political consensus proved elusive before a shift towards protectionist blocs took place. For Great Britain, this 10-pence or 1-franc design was the work of Léonard Charles Wyon, who took particular care with this coin, intended to make an impression on the international stage.
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About the sale Numismatics
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Auction time 10/15/2026 at 9:30 AM
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