← Back to category
1870 Napoleon III bronze 5F
R200.00
In stock
1870 Napoleon III bronze 5 Francs
Tons of information on the silver and gold version of this coin but this one is definitely not gold and when tested on a Sigma Pro Metallytics analyser, it's not silver, either.
From the colour it appears to be bronze or a similar alloy, non-magnetic, 36.15mm in diameter, 2.4mm in thickness and 17g in weight.
Could this be a replica?
Best bet is that this could be prison money.
Why it cannot be a genuine 1870 5 Francs coin:
Composition & Specifications: Genuine 1870 French Napoleon III 5 Francs coins were exclusively minted in 90% silver. They officially weigh 25.00 grams and have a diameter of 37 mm with a thickness of roughly 2.6 mm. Official gold 5 Francs were much smaller (17mm, 1.61g).
At 17 grams and made of a brass/bronze alloy (failing the Sigma Metalytics silver test), this piece is heavily underweight for a standard 5 Francs silver coin and completely wrong in metal content.
What is it?
Items matching these general traits typically fall into a couple of categories:
Modern Tourist/Collector Replica: Modern novelty replicas or tourist souvenir tokens mimicking the Napoleon III laureate head design are frequently struck in brass or base metal alloys.
The "Prison Money" / Contrived Token Theory: While my instinct pointing toward specialized tokens or emergency/prison scrip is creative (not really, as we had/have prison money in South Africa mimicking actual currency), true 19th-century penal or prison tokens are usually well documented by region and rarely mimic high denomination national silver currency so crudely. More often, brass or copper pieces matching this description are modern fantasy replicas or theatrical props.
The porous surface texture, blobby details, and incorrect weight confirm it is a non-genuine reproduction rather than a rare monetary variant.
Tons of information on the silver and gold version of this coin but this one is definitely not gold and when tested on a Sigma Pro Metallytics analyser, it's not silver, either.
From the colour it appears to be bronze or a similar alloy, non-magnetic, 36.15mm in diameter, 2.4mm in thickness and 17g in weight.
Could this be a replica?
Best bet is that this could be prison money.
Why it cannot be a genuine 1870 5 Francs coin:
Composition & Specifications: Genuine 1870 French Napoleon III 5 Francs coins were exclusively minted in 90% silver. They officially weigh 25.00 grams and have a diameter of 37 mm with a thickness of roughly 2.6 mm. Official gold 5 Francs were much smaller (17mm, 1.61g).
At 17 grams and made of a brass/bronze alloy (failing the Sigma Metalytics silver test), this piece is heavily underweight for a standard 5 Francs silver coin and completely wrong in metal content.
What is it?
Items matching these general traits typically fall into a couple of categories:
Modern Tourist/Collector Replica: Modern novelty replicas or tourist souvenir tokens mimicking the Napoleon III laureate head design are frequently struck in brass or base metal alloys.
The "Prison Money" / Contrived Token Theory: While my instinct pointing toward specialized tokens or emergency/prison scrip is creative (not really, as we had/have prison money in South Africa mimicking actual currency), true 19th-century penal or prison tokens are usually well documented by region and rarely mimic high denomination national silver currency so crudely. More often, brass or copper pieces matching this description are modern fantasy replicas or theatrical props.
The porous surface texture, blobby details, and incorrect weight confirm it is a non-genuine reproduction rather than a rare monetary variant.
Product code: EUR0012