Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Re: 1943 French Franc

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Expert: - 2/1/2011


Question
I have a 1943 French Franc, Morlon, Face Republique Francaise, Reverse Liberte Egalite Fraternite. It looks like 1943, but the bottom of the three looks to be connected like the bottom of an 8 but the top of the 3 is flat, even with the 4. Also, between the cornicopias is a B mintmark. Could this be a Graziani franc? Thank you in advance for any help. Rich

Answer

Hi Rich,
This is very likely a doctored coin, either an 1946-B or 1948-B that someone carefully tried to turn into the extremely rare 1943. There were no B mint Morlon 1 franc coins made until 1945.
It could possibly be due to a mint error, such as a dirt or grease filled die, or even a die chip that causes something to not get fully struck. I feel that it is an attempt at alteration, considering the date involved.
I have attached a picture of another such altered coin, a 1943 2 francs that does not exist.
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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