Page 56 - Delcampe Collections classiques EN-006

Coins

the mint prior to 13 February 1816.
During this time, other coins were minted
with the effigy of Emperor Napoleon Bo-
naparte.

Beware of fake Brichauds
Brichaud, director of the Brussels Mint,
had some “test-run” 5-franc coins minted
well after Louis XVIII’s death. These
coins date from 1870, though they bear
the engraving ‘1815’. The justification for
these coins was the fact that Louis XVIII
was in exile in Brussels at the time. But
the director sinned out of pride: the coin
featured a three-part ferrule, which was
impossible to make at the time it was
supposed to have been struck!

After the King’s return
In 1816, Nicolas Pierre Tiolier succee-
ded his father as Engraver General of the
Paris Mint. He would be the person in
charge of coins struck under Louis XVIII.
From 1816 to 1824, another coin known
as the “bare bust” coin was minted. It
was made by the engraver Michaut. It is
available in 40F, 20F gold, as well as in
lower values in silver: 5F, 2F, 1F, 1/2F and
1/4F. These coins may well have been in
use long after the sovereign’s death.
The coins can command very high values
depending on their rarity, the workshop
where they were minted, and their condi-
tion. There are also a wide range of me-
dals.

France 1817, 20-franc gold coin of Louis XVIII “with
bare bust”
France after 1815, house coin, anarchic clause
Louis XVIII.

56 Delcampe Magazine