France 50 Centimes, 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 Francs 1898 to Date

I like the designs on French coins, and this one is no exception. I am not sure if that is Miss Liberty, the French emblem Marianne, or just one of those pretty French women. The same pattern, in any case, has been used on-and-off for more than a century.

Here is a run-down of approximate catalog values for the various coins which use this pattern. For silver coins, they cannot be worth less than their weight in silver. Use kitco.com to find the current value of silver per troy ounce.

50 CENTIMES 1897 TO 1911 (0.067 troy ounces silver)
worn: $2 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $4
well preserved: $15
fully uncirculated: $40
coins dated 1897, 1903, 1905, and 1911 are more rare, worth about three times these values

50 CENTIMES 1912 TO 1920 (0.067 troy ounces silver)
worn: $1 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $2
well preserved: $3
fully uncirculated: $5

1/2 FRANC AFTER 1964 (no silver content)
circulated: less than $1 US dollar
uncirculated: $2

1 FRANC 1898 TO 1920 (0.134 troy ounces silver)
worn: $2 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $15
fully uncirculated: $50
coins dated between 1915 and 1920 are common, worth less than half these values
coins dated 1906 and 1907 are more rare, worth about twice these values
coins dated 1903 are quite rare, worth about ten times these values in high grades
coins dated 1914 with a C mint mark are special, see below

1 FRANC AFTER 1959 (no silver content)
circulated: less than $1 US dollar
uncirculated: $3

2 FRANCS 1897 TO 1913 (0.268 troy ounces silver)
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $25
well preserved: $40
fully uncirculated: $120
coins dated 1900 are very rare, worth about five times these values
coins dated 1913 are more rare, worth about twice these values

2 FRANCS 1914 TO 1920 (0.268 troy ounces silver)
worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $12
well preserved: $15
fully uncirculated: $35
coins dated between 1914 and 1920 are worth about one-half these values

There are unique 1 and 2 franc coins with a C mint mark (as shown). These are quite valuable, especially in good condition:

1914C 1 FRANC: $350 in well preserved condition
1914C 2 FRANCS: $25 in well preserved condition

2 FRANCS AFTER 1978 (reverse differs, no silver content)
circulated: less than $1 US dollar
uncirculated: $3

5 FRANCS 1960 TO 1969 (0.322 troy ounces silver)
circulated: $10 US dollar
uncirculated: $18

5 FRANCS AFTER 1969 (no silver content)
circulated: less than $1 US dollar
uncirculated: $5

As usual, these are all catalog values. Use our Important Terminology link to find the meaning of this weasel word.
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