France 1/2, 1, and 2 Sol 1793

It was a bloody time, the French Revolution. King Louis XIV had garnered special privlidges to himself and his nobility while plunging France into bankruptcy. His monarchy was abolished in 1792, and he and Marie Antoinette were decapitated in 1793. The inscription on your coin reads 'les hommes sont egaux devant la loi' which means 'everyone is equal under the law.' 'L'AN II' under the inscription means 'the year 2' or the second year of the first republic.

There are 1/2 sol, 1 sol and 2 sol denominations of this coin minted that year (1/2 S, 1 S, and 2 S in the wreath), and they are generally valuable coins if in decent condition.

The coin in our picture is a 1 sol coin. It is a beautiful coin in very good shape and it sold for 160 euros, about $210 US dollars in 2015.

The mint mark for these coins (all are dated 1793) appears below the wreath and above the date. The mint mark is important to value, as follows:

1/2 sol (1/2 S):
Mint mark H: catalog value $300 US dollars in average circulated condition
Mint mark I: very rare coin, worth 1000s of US dollars

1 sol (1 S)
Mint mark A, MA: catalog $200 average circulated
Mint mark B: catalog $150
Mint mark H, I: catalog $150
Mint mark AA, BB, D, L N, T, W: catalog $100
Note: some 1 sol coins do not bear the 1793 date, but have L'AN II -- they catalog about $50 more than coins with the 1793 date

2 sol (2 S)
Mint mark BB, R, I: catalog $300 average circulated
Mint mark N, W, cow: catalog $400

These are catalog values. Use our Terminology link to understand what this means.

Worn coins are worth about one-half of the values above. Well preserved coins are worth about double.

As with all valuable coins one must be wary of counterfeits. If you suspect your coin is a fake, have it checked by PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICS. Look them up on the Internent. Do not use other services.
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