COINS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND FRENCH

REPUBLICS:

WITH NOTICES OF LEAD COINS OF THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY, AND OF THE EARLY AMERICAN REPUBLIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.

DEAR SIR,-I have before me the "five-francs" coin of the old French Revolution, to which I request your notice. Obverse,Hercules, clad in his lion's skin, standing full front to the spectator, his right hand resting on the right shoulder of a female standing in profile and looking inwards, holding in her right hand a staff surmounted by the cap of liberty, and clasping in her left the right hand of a female also standing in profile and looking inwards, who holds a triangle plumb-rule in her left hand, and on whose left shoulder Hercules rests his left hand. "DUPRE" (the name of the engraver). figure with a bow and an anchor. Inscription: "UNION ET FORCE." Reverse, within a wreath of laurel and oak, "5 FRANCS. L'AN 8." (Louis the Sixteenth's coins, with 1793, have on them "L'AN 5.") Below, between two dots, the letter "T"-the mint of Nantes. Inscription, without the wreath, "REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE:" and on the edge, in sunk or incuse letters, "GARANTIE NATIONALE.”

Below, between two dots,
Mint-marks (?) a female

The "five-francs" coin of the new French Revolution is also the workmanship of the same artist-Dupré. The French newspapers mentioned they were to be struck from an old die (most probably old punch) of Dupré's which had been found in the mint. The figures on the obverse are precisely the same as on the coin of "L'AN 8," except that the female on the right of Hercules holds in

her right hand the regal sceptre of France-a staff surmounted with a right hand, of which the thumb and two forefingers are extended, and the last two fingers closed. (The form in which the blessing is given in the Roman Catholic Church: indicating the Trinity.) I am therefore of opinion that this die or punch was engraved by Dupré before Louis the Sixteenth was murdered, and was intended to have been a reverse to that king's bust on the obverse; and, in the hurry of the French Provisional Government of February, 1848, to bring out a Republican coinage, the regal attribute was overlooked. Below, as on the other coin, is the artist's name, "DUPRE," but between two stars. The inscription, "LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE." Mint-mark, a branch with five leaves. The new coin looks much smaller than the old, though exactly the same size, and the weight is three and one quarter tenths of one grain heavier than the old, no great loss by wear of the latter. Its diminished appearance arises from a deeper or broader graining on the surface, and the inscriptions being brought lower into the field of the coin.

On the reverse, also within a wreath of laurel and oak, "5 FRANCS, 1848;" below, between a hand pointing to it and a greyhound's head looking from it, the letter "A." The mint of Paris. Without the wreath, "REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE," and on the edge, in raised letters, "DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE." This motto was first placed on the French coins by Bonaparte as "Premier Consul," an 12, remained during the Empire, and, under Louis Philippe, replaced the "DOMINE SALVUM FAC REGEM" of Louis the Eighteenth and Charles the Tenth, and now is, as we see, continued by the new Republic of 1848. We have also a new copper coin,— obverse, a female bust, wearing the cap of liberty, and looking to her right; below, the artist's name, still "DUPRE;" inscription, "REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE:" reverse,- UN CENTIME, 1848," and the letter "A" between the hand and dog's head.

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and

It is precisely the same as Dupré's centimes of L'an 6, 7, 8 of the old Revolution. Weight 33 grains, which is four grains heavier than a well-preserved specimen of one of "L'AN 7.".

Returning from France to England, I may notice Supplement, Plate VI., No. 14, engraved at the expense of the Society of Antiquaries to illustrate Folkes's work on the coinage of Great Britain (and which plates the Society lent to the Rev. Mr. Ruding for his

great work), is a large lead piece; obverse, (so Ruding; I should consider it the reverse) inscribed, "AUSPICIE REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIE (sic);" reverse,-an imperial crown; over it, "G. R.;" below, "BOMB." Assigned by Mr. Ruding to George the First.

I have two pieces precisely similar in metal, type, and inscription, but one, weighing 1 ounce 6 grains, has a date 1741, and the other, weighing 15 dwts. 12 grains, is dated 1771. Both seem cast, not struck; and I have also seen two pieces in lead, same type, half their size. I presume they were a coinage issued by the government of Bombay, and hope that some one of your oriental members or correspondents will instruct us as to their currency and value.

Cork, 18th Aug. 1848.

R. S.

Since writing the foregoing I examined my French drawer, and find I have five medals on which this sceptre with the hand appears. On the coronation of Louis the Sixteenth, A.D. 1775; by the altar at which the king is kneeling is a cushion, on which are a crown and two sceptres crossed, one surmounted by a fleur-de-lis, and the other by a hand. Louis the Eighteenth, 8 July, 1815. The king standing in a chariot, with a sceptre surmounted by a hand in his right hand: a globe surmounted with a fleur-de-lis in his left.—The removal of the remains of Louis the Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette, 21 January, 1815. On the hearse are the two sceptres, lis and hand tied together, with a crown over them.—" REGIS CUSTODIA CIVIBUS CREDITA," 3rd May, 1814. A chair of state, on which are a crown, and two sceptres crossed, lis and hand.-On the reverse of the coronation medal of Charles the Tenth, 29 May, 1825, the king sitting, crowned and robed, with the fleur-de-lis sceptre in his right hand, and the hand-sceptre in his left. On a medal of Mary of Medicis, widow of Henry the Fourth, as Regent, I observe the engraver is “G. DUPRE FEC." which seems to indicate that this family had been for generations in the French mint.

I was surprised in my search at meeting a demi-ecu of Louis the Sixteenth, with the young head by Du Vivier, the royal arms, and titles in Latin, dated 1792, as we have the Revolution coinage, "REGNE DE LA LOI," 1791, 1792, 1793, French inscriptions, and large bust by Dupré. The contemporary issue of the old monarch

ical types with "L'AN 4 DE LA LIBERTE," seems extraordinary. This coin, as well as the ecu, and a smaller piece of 1784 and 1783, are marked " A," the mint of Paris, which makes the issue still more singular.

In the Art Journal, No. 124, for October, 1848, page 301, “History of Costume in France," are representations by engravings of two French kings. One sitting and holding in his right hand a flower, rather resembling a fleur-de-lis; in his left a sceptre, inclosed within a lozenge guard. The name of this sovereign is not given. The other is a standing figure, with the hand-sceptre in his right, and a globe in his left hand. This, it is stated, "represents Hugh Capet," who reigned from A.D. 987 to 997; and the text further adds, "A seal of this prince contains the first representation of the hand of Justice, which he grasps in his right hand, while in his left he holds a globe."

This is precisely the representation of the king given on the medal of Louis the Eighteenth on his return to Paris after the Battle of Waterloo, mentioned in the text.

I have also what appears to have been an American leaden coin. It is the same size as the silver dollar of 1795, and weighs 11 dwts. 6 grains. The edge is milled with a wreath pattern. Obverse,on the exterior edge are 13 connected rings, forming a circle with the name of a state on each; in the centre another ring, from which issue 13 rays, inscribed in a circle, "AMERICAN CONGRESS," and within it, "WE ARE ONE." Reverse, in the centre a sun-dial, on which the sun (near which is the word "FUGIO") directs his rays: below the sun-dial, "MIND YOUR BUSINESS, E. G. FECIT," with a circular inscription, "CONTINENTAL CURRENCY, 1776."

I have also a copper coin of the size of our halfpenny. Obverse, -13 interlaced rings, but not inscribed; in the centre a ring, "UNITED STATES. WE ARE ONE." Reverse, the sun-dial, with the hours marked on it, a blazing sun immediately over it, "FUGIO. 1787:" in the exergue, "MIND YOUR BUSINESS."

The earliest American dollar that I have ever met with is one with, obverse,—a female bust, animated expression, and flowing, floating locks. It is taken from a French Republican medal, on which is also a cap of liberty on a staff. I do not remember the engraver. The American bust has above it," LIBERTY;" below,

"1795" the space filled up by 15 stars. Reverse, an eagle standing, with outspread wings, within a wreath of laurel or olive, inscribed, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." On the edge an incuse inscription,

ONE DOLLAR, OR ONE HUNDRED CENTS." For beauty and gracefulness of design, I think both obverse and reverse of this dollar far superior to any of the many that have succeeded it, say to A.D. 1853.