Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV ND (1779-1797) front Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV ND (1779-1797) back
Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV ND (1779-1797) photo
© Yves Mathieu

Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV ND

 
Billon (.208 silver) 2 g 23 mm
Description
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
Thickness
1 mm
Shape
Round
Technique
Milled
Demonetized
Yes
Updated
2024-10-04
References
Numista
N#296562
Rarity index
92%

Reverse

Traces of the circular lettering of the 2 sols Louis XV coin.

Script: Latin

Lettering: • SIT • NOM • DOM • B • BENEDICTUM 1740

Translation: Blessed the name of the Lord

Edge

Plain

Comment

Restrike called by January 1763 edict.

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 Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV coin from French West Indies is that it was minted during a time of great change and upheaval in France and its colonies. The coin was minted between 1779 and 1797, a period that saw the French Revolution, the fall of the monarchy, and the rise of the First French Republic. Despite these tumultuous times, the coin remained a standard circulation coin in the French West Indies, a testament to the resilience and stability of the currency system in the region.

Price

Date Mintage VG F VF XF AU UNC
ND (1779-1797)  6000000 - - - - - -

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for Sol tampé refrappe 2 sols Louis XV ND (1779-1797) coin.