Where can I get a list of countries France struck coins for?

shirohniichan

I'm working on a collection of Latin Monetary Union coins, and I noticed a number of coins that conform to the LMU's standards issued by non-member countries. It isn't surprising to see they were either minted or designed in France (the designer's name "BARRE" gives them away).

Where can I find a list of countries France either struck coins for or made dies for during the 19th century?

MyWorldCoinTypeSet

I'll start ... France

SYRACUSIAN

For a list of countries only, it's not that complicated, they should all have the French mints' initials, A, BB, K, as well as the privy mintmarks of their directors and/or chief engravers. For more precise information, mintages, etc, it's a bit more tricky, you should probably research the annual reports of the Regie des Monnaies and the Rapport du Ministre des Finances.

European countries that minted coins to these standards without becoming members, were St Marino, Vatican, Spain, Crete, Luxemburgh, Monaco, Romania,Bulgaria, Serbia, as well as Austria-Hungary,Russia and Finland that minted only gold coins to the same standards. But they did not necessarilly mint them all in France.

SYRACUSIAN

Here's another book that should be useful:

Traité de Numismatique moderne et contemporaine, by R. Serrure et A. Engel

shirohniichan

Merci bien.

I guess I'll consult Krause for now.

SYRACUSIAN

As strange as it sounds, there were countries that adopted the LMU standards after WW1, when the system was already condemned, such as Albania for example, there are a few others too, Poland I think and one of the Baltics at least.


Then, outside Europe, you have a vast number of French colonies, from Africa to Asia. The Tunisian 20 gold franc coins for example were legal tender in Europe. I have various currency conversion lists that the Greek state was publishing during the 19th century,basically forced by the situation, as these coins were already circulating in the country in much bigger quantities than the Greek coins that were exported and had quickly vanished.These lists,were regularly published by the state for all sorts of circulating silver and gold coins from even the most remote countries,usually with a lot of mistakes in them, such as calling the Russian 5 roubles a 4 rouble coin, or with a Romanian 10 lei in them, although there's never been a Romanian 10 lei. In one of these lists from 1855, there's a really unforgivable mistake, with all the US denominations and their official values in drachmai and lepta, ($1= 5.79 drs),from the half dollar to the double eagle, (double aigle) only they are listed as Mexican coins..


edited to add that this is not relevant to the LMU subject, but I could not resist it.

shirohniichan

Cool stuff, Dmitri.

I have an American pocket exchange book from 1871, but it only includes the UK, France, and a few other countries in the foreign exchange section.

When you consider the hegemonic struggle between France and Great Britain going on under Napoleon III and Gladstone, it's no wonder that the Brits didn't hitch their wagon to the LMU.

ROBERTB

France has struck a few modern commem.s for Ireland.