France 1/2 Sol and 1 Sol 1777 to 1791

More than likely, Corey, you have an old sol or half sol from King Louis XVI of France. There are other copper coins that look similar, but the spelling of the inscriptions are a little different. If your coin looks like our picture, which comes from Alain Cheilan of 123 Numismatique, a respected coin dealer in Toulon, France, then you have a sol or half sol. A different spelling of FRANCIAE would lead to a French coin called a liard.

When an old French coin looks as good as Alain's, it can command a significant price. The coin in our picture is for sale a 220 euros, about $300 US dollars. It is in superb condition, which warrants a hefty price tag. Lesser condition engenders lesser price. An problems like corrosion, scratches, stains, cleanings, and holes run the price down to essentially zero.

Below we present some very approximate catalog values for these coins. Remember that catalog values are inflated values, and you must use the guidelines presented on our Terminology page to deduce actual buy and sell values, which are lower than catalog values.

HALF SOL: 25 mm diameter
worn: $3 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $18
well preserved: $85

SOL: 30 mm diameter
worn: $3 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $16
well preserved: $75
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