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1/2 Franc - Louis-Philippe I pattern of Bovy with a module of 1/2 franc
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare laureate bust of Louis-Philippe I facing left, wearing a crown of oak leaves, with flowing hair rendered in fine detail. The legend LOUIS PHILIPPE I ROI DES FRANÇAIS encircles the effigy along the border. The word ESSAI appears in the exergue below the truncation, denoting the trial or pattern status of the piece. The portrait is executed in a classical style consistent with the engraving work of J. Bovy, with a beaded border framing the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Antoine Bovy submitted this pattern in 1848 as the July Monarchy was collapsing beneath Louis-Philippe's feet — the king abdicated in February of that year, making any coinage bearing his portrait immediately obsolete before production could begin. Bovy, a Geneva-born medallist who had served as engraver at the Paris Mint since 1840, produced several module variants of this design, which accounts for the "var." qualifications in both the Mazard and Vinchon-Guilloteau references.
The brass composition confirms this was never intended for circulation — a trial piece only, struck to demonstrate the design at scale.