Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Louis XVI 1792

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Expert: - 1/23/2010


Question
Hi Dmitry. Can you help - I've just come a cross a tin of coins I've had since I was a small boy and haven't looked at for at least 40 years. In it there's a French coin. On one side there's a picture of Louis XVI and the following words around the edge:
LOUIS XVI ROI DES FRANCOIS 1792

On the other side there is a design which looks like a wreath with a standard up the middle.The number 2 appears to the left of the standard and the letter S to the right. Around the edge the following words appear:

LA NATION LA LOI LE ROI L'AN 4 DE LA LIBERTE

The coin has discoloured green with age (does that mean it's bronze?)

I'd be interested to know if you can give me any idea about what the coin is and how much it might be worth.

Thanks in anticipation  

Answer

Hi David,
Your French coin is indeed made of bronze. It is a 2 sols, which at the time would have been roughly the equivalent of an English half-penny.
There are many mints that produced these coins. The mint mark will be found just to the right of the date and may be either a single letter, double letters or a pictorial symbol. If wish to post a follow-up question with a description of the mark or a clear photo, I can be a lot more specific about the condition and value.
Typically these coins start at around $5 for a well used coin and can run well over $100 for one in excellent condition. These were crudely struck, so excellent condition for these coins is something that many people would not consider excellent at all on modern coins.
For example: the coin in the attached picture has a BB mint mark, which is for Strasbourg.
Thanks for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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