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10 Reales - Napoleon III Mule
| Issuer | Paraguay |
|---|---|
| Year | 1854 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Reales |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed laureate effigy of Napoleon III facing left, rendered in high relief with fine portrait detail characteristic of mid-19th century French medallic art. The emperor's bust is truncated at the shoulder and positioned centrally within the field. The circumferential legend reads NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR, arranged along the upper and lower periphery of the coin. The overall style reflects the work of the Paris Mint's engraving workshop under Bouvet. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (1854) A - Pattern - Highly Rare (Paris mint) |
| Additional information |
One of the most peculiar emissions in South American numismatic history. Paraguay in 1854 had no functioning mint, so the López government contracted European manufacturers — almost certainly in Paris — to produce coinage. This particular piece is a mule, pairing dies that were never intended to share a coin, and the Napoleon III connection suggests the obverse die was either borrowed, repurposed, or supplied in error by the French contractor. Silver-plated white metal rather than true silver points to a pattern or proof-of-concept striking, not a circulating issue.
Fewer than a handful of confirmed examples are known.