Dominican Republic 50 Centesimos, 1 Franco and 5 Francos 1891

In 1891 the Dominican Republic issued three coins with the same pattern but different weight and value:

50 CENTESIMOS: 2.5 grams, 0.067 troy ounces silver
1 FRANCO: 5.0 grams, 0.134 ounces silver
5 FRANCOS: 25.0 grams, 0.723 ounces silver

'Lei' means 'law' in Portuguese, and the 50 centesimos coin contains 2 1/2 grams of 0.835 pure silver. That translates to 0.067 troy ounces. The other denominations follow a similar pattern. In worn condition, like our picture, there is not much more value in these coin than their basic silver content, called BV or base value. Compute the BV by multiplying the troy ounces of silver by the current market price (see kitco.com). Collectors will pay a premium over silver value if the coin is in better condition, as follows:

50 CENTESIMOS
worn: BV
average circulated: BV + $10 US dollars catalog value
well preserved: $25
fully uncirculated: $150

1 FRANCO
worn: BV
average circulated: BV + $10 US dollars catalog value
well preserved: $40
fully uncirculated: $250

5 FRANCOS
worn: BV
average circulated: BV + $100 US dollars catalog value
well preserved: $250
fully uncirculated: $700

so you see that condition makes all the difference in the value of this coin. Please be aware that these values are catalog values and must be interpreted correctly. Use our Important Terminology page for this purpose.
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