© Ginger (CC BY-NC)
2 Sols - Crowned C ND
Billon (.208 silver) | 2 g | 23 mm |
Issuer | French West Indies (Overseas France) |
---|---|
King | Louis XVI (1774-1792) |
Period | First Republic (1792-1804) |
Type | Standard circulation coin |
Years | 1779-1797 |
Value | 2 Sols (0.1) |
Currency | Livre tournois (781-1795) |
Composition | Billon (.208 silver) |
Weight | 2 g |
Diameter | 23 mm |
Shape | Round |
Demonetized | Yes |
Updated | 2024-10-04 |
Numista | N#7571 |
---|---|
Rarity index | 58% |
Reverse
Blank, these coins being uniface.
Edge
Plain
Comment
In order to be adopted by the population, "coinage had to be silvered in the French American colonies, even a little, i.e., in billon, which explains the success of all kinds of “marked sols.” The government understood this when he decided, in 1763, to mark with a simple crowned C, meaning “French Colonies,” and not Cayenne. For planchets, they used all those “sol marqués” produced since 1738 that were too worn to circulate in France, to make savings. This process was called “estampage,” hence the nickname of “sol tampé” in French and “stamped sol” in English. The success, in a French America reduced to the West Indies after the Treaty of Paris, was instant. To such a point that new ones had to be made on new blanks from 1780 onwards —the first shipment was reserved for newly-settled Guyana. Meanwhile, the British made considerable quantities of counterfeit in brass during the wars of the Revolution (1797–1798)."Source: Jérôme Jambu, 2022. "French Coins in America or French American Coins? (and which America?)". The American Numismatic Society Pocket Change. https://numismatics.org/pocketchange/jambu/
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about the 2 Sols - Crowned C ND (1779-1797) coin from French West Indies (Overseas France) is that it was made of Billon, which is an alloy of silver and copper. Specifically, the coin contains 20.8% silver and 79.2% copper, making it a unique blend of metals. This blend was used to create a coin that was both durable and had a lower intrinsic value than a coin made entirely of silver, which was a valuable resource at the time.
Price
Date | Mintage | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ND (1779-1797) | 3000000 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 2 Sols - Crowned C ND (1779-1797) coin.