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Coin and Paper Money Collecting/1949 French Republic 5 Francs Coin

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Expert: - 2/10/2010


Question

Coin
I have a 1949 French Republic 5 Francs coin that has a mint error on the 'Q' in Republique.  Apart from needing cleaning, which I am afraid to do, it is in AU condition.  Can you tell me if there are any others that you have seen like this, and let me know of the value if possible.  Thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi Heather,
This is an interesting example. I have not seen one, but I would be surprised to find two that are identical. This error is due to a filled die, also known as a grease-fill. Sometimes the grease which is used to lubricate the minting process gets into the smaller grooves of the die and prevents areas from being struck. This always shows as missing areas, just like you have here.
I would not recommend any heavy cleaning, but you can clear up some of the dark areas by lightly rubbing it with an alcohol pad. Aluminum will generally not get those fine hairlines that a silver or bronze coin would when rubbed.
Value on something like this is $5 to $10 because it is interesting, but a pretty common type of error.
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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