Third Republic, 1936

KM 880; Friedberg 598; Gadoury 1148, PCGS graded PR-65 Deep Cameo

The French monetary reform of 1920 resulted in the adoption of new types for the 100-francs gold coin. In the same way that the gold 10-and 20-franc pieces had been redesigned at the end of the nineteenth century, the 100-francs now abandoned the old revolutionary Genius type and replaced it with a art deco-style personification of the republic on the obverse and a wheat ear flanked by olive and oak branches before a rising sun on the reverse. The obverse type, engraved by Lucien Georges Bazor, is closely modeled on the winged head of Liberty engraved by Adolph Weinman for the U.S. dime (the so-called “Mercury Dime”) in 1916.

Winged head of the Republic left. Reverse: Denomination above grain sprig, date below, laurel and oak branches flanking.

Ex Heritage (13 August 2010), 20922