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5 Francs - International monetary commission
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1873 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Gad#654, X#38 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central arms of France — the royal shield bearing three fleurs-de-lis — surmounted by a royal crown and flanked by symmetrical laurel and oak branches tied at the base. The denomination 5 FRANCS appears below the shield in the lower field, with the fineness and weight specification TITRE 0,835 - POIDS 25 GS. inscribed along the lower exergue. The circular legend DÉDIÉE À LA COMMISSION MONÉTAIRE INTERNATIONALE runs along the upper periphery, separated by two small rosette stops. The design reflects the Legitimist Bourbon heraldic tradition and the medal-like character of this pattern piece. |
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| Additional information |
The 1873 date places this coin at the heart of the Latin Monetary Union's push toward a unified international coinage system. That year, France hosted an international monetary conference with the explicit ambition of establishing a world currency — a single coin acceptable across sovereign borders. This 5 francs piece was struck as a formal proposal piece within that framework, not for ordinary circulation.
The conference ultimately collapsed over the silver question, as the U.S. and Britain refused to commit to a bimetallic standard. No international coinage system emerged.