The enjoyable task of exploring my safe continues!

This time, I came across three old Franc coins from the late 1800s and early 1900s. I’m not sure why I separated them from the original set, but they’re truly delightful to look at! There’s something about “vintage” and “France” that pairs beautifully together. We should definitely bring this kind of charm back into our own coin designs!

Here’s a brief overview of these Francs:

The history behind these coins is fascinating. Here’s a quick snippet from Wikipedia:

“The first franc was a gold coin introduced in 1360 to pay the ransom of King John II of France. This coin ensured the king’s freedom and depicted him on a lavishly adorned horse. Unfortunately, John II couldn’t mint enough francs to cover his ransom, leading him to willingly return to captivity in England. He ultimately died as a prisoner there, leaving his son, Charles V, to deal with the aftermath.”

Quite poignant!

Here’s a detailed look at the coins…

I’ll be back with another collection soon!

Many of these coins are from abroad since that’s mostly what people send my way. However, I also have photos from when I sold a stash of old silver US coins last year, and they’re pretty fantastic. It would have been even better if those coins had been mine, but the nice commission I earned was a decent trade-off, so I can’t complain too much. 😉

Enjoy your collecting adventures!