France 25 and 50 Centimes, 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 Francs 1830 to 1848

France issued silver coins with the same pattern in 25 and 50 centimes, and 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 franc denominations. They all look the same, with Louis Philippe I, king of France (roi des Francais) on the 'heads' side and a wreath with the denomination, date, and mint mark on the 'tails' side. There are other patterns issued during this same time period, but this page applies only to coins that look like the picture to the right.

Here is a run-down of approximate catalog values for these coins. These values apply to all dates and mint marks. Any special dates and mint marks in a series are called out separately. To qualify for these values, a coin must be free of all problems such as cleanings, scratches, stains, spots, nicks, gouges, and the like. Be sure you understand how catalog values work. Read our Terminology page.

These coins are made out of silver. They can never be worth less than the value of the silver they contain. You can look at kitco.com for the current price of silver. It changes every day.

25 CENTIMES, 14 mm diameter, 0.036 troy ounces silver
worn: $4 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $10
well preserved: $20
fully uncirculated: $70
25 centimes with BB, K, and W mint marks are more rare and are worth roughly twice these values

50 CENTIMES, 16 mm diameter, 0.072 troy ounces silver
worn: $8 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $18
well preserved: $36
fully uncirculated: $80
50 centimes with BB, K, and W mint marks are more rare and are worth roughly twice these values
50 centimes dated 1845W are more common and catalog as listed above

1/2 FRANC, 16 mm diameter, 0.072 troy ounces silver
worn: $8 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $14
well preserved: $30
fully uncirculated: $130
1/2 franc coins dated 1831BB, 1831L, 1831M, and 1831T are more rare and are worth roughly twice these values
1/2 franc coins dated 1831MA are very rare and catalog at $600 in average circulated condition
1/2 franc coins dated 1834MA are rare and catalog at $200 in average circulated condition
1/2 franc coins dated 1834Q are very rare and catalog at $500 in average circulated condition

1 FRANC, 22 mm diameter, 0.144 troy ounces silver
worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $40
well preserved: $80
fully uncirculated: $200
all 1 franc coins dated 1831, regardless of mint mark, are much more valuable and catalog at about $300 in average circulated condition
1 franc dated 1835L are more rare and are worth about three times these values

2 FRANCS, 26 mm diameter, 0.289 troy ounces silver
worn: $20 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $45
well preserved: $120
fully uncirculated: $400
2 francs coins dated 1837MA mint mark are very rare and catalog at $600 in average circulated condition

5 FRANCS, 35 mm diameter, 0.723 troy ounces silver
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $30
well preserved: $60
fully uncirculated: $300
5 francs coins dated 1830 and 1831 are much more valuable, with an approximate catalog value of $140 in average circulated condition
5 francs dated 1839MA catalog at $200 in average circulated condition.

There are many twists and turns with the values of these series. If you have a nice looking specimen with a mint mark other than 'A', seek out a knowledgeable collector or coin dealer for an in-person appraisal.
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