Heritage World Coin Auctions
March Signature Sale 3096 25-27 Mar 2021
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France
Napoleon III gold Proof Essai 5 Francs 1853 PR61 Cameo NGC, cf. KM-PnA90 (in silver), Gad-731, Maz-1635c (R5), VG-Unl. Plain edge. By Bouvet. An impressive specimen in all regards. Plenty of flash surrounds the raised features in a watery brilliance, highlighting devices that have received an emboldened strike, as well as a light overlay of frost that has produced a marked cameo contrast against the surrounding mirrors. The intriguing design encompasses a unique obverse legend to the type, also contemporarily produced in silver, which reads "NAPOLEON III PAR LA GRACE DE DIEU ET LA VOLONTÉ NATIONALE" (Napoleon III, by the grace of God and the national will), a clear attempt to assert the legitimacy of his rule, which was, after all, established by a coup d'état on December 2, 1851. The reverse states Napoleon's title as Emperor of the French, imitating the style of his uncle, Napoleon I, and proclaiming a position which he had only recently acquired in his coronation as Emperor on December 2, 1852. The date, of course, marks the anniversary of the battle of Austerlitz, widely considered one of his uncle's most impressive victories during the Napoleonic Wars, and a date which he hoped would serve as a positive omen for his reign. The type is both indisputably rare and of tremendous importance to the dedicated series collector. Beyond the present offering we can reference only a single uncertified example of the type, which sold in January of 2016 for a hammer price of $150,000.
Ex. Hess-Divo Auction 293 (October 2002, Lot 322)
https://coins.ha.com/itm/france/france-napoleon-iii-gold-proof-essai-5-francs-1853-pr61-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30185.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 30000-50000 USD
Napoleon III gold Proof Essai 5 Francs 1853 PR61 Cameo NGC, cf. KM-PnA90 (in silver), Gad-731, Maz-1635c (R5), VG-Unl. Plain edge. By Bouvet. An impressive specimen in all regards. Plenty of flash surrounds the raised features in a watery brilliance, highlighting devices that have received an emboldened strike, as well as a light overlay of frost that has produced a marked cameo contrast against the surrounding mirrors. The intriguing design encompasses a unique obverse legend to the type, also contemporarily produced in silver, which reads "NAPOLEON III PAR LA GRACE DE DIEU ET LA VOLONTÉ NATIONALE" (Napoleon III, by the grace of God and the national will), a clear attempt to assert the legitimacy of his rule, which was, after all, established by a coup d'état on December 2, 1851. The reverse states Napoleon's title as Emperor of the French, imitating the style of his uncle, Napoleon I, and proclaiming a position which he had only recently acquired in his coronation as Emperor on December 2, 1852. The date, of course, marks the anniversary of the battle of Austerlitz, widely considered one of his uncle's most impressive victories during the Napoleonic Wars, and a date which he hoped would serve as a positive omen for his reign. The type is both indisputably rare and of tremendous importance to the dedicated series collector. Beyond the present offering we can reference only a single uncertified example of the type, which sold in January of 2016 for a hammer price of $150,000.
Ex. Hess-Divo Auction 293 (October 2002, Lot 322)
https://coins.ha.com/itm/france/france-napoleon-iii-gold-proof-essai-5-francs-1853-pr61-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30185.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 30000-50000 USD