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PARIS MINT PRIVY MARKS APPEARING ON MEDALS
David Thomason Alexander of Patterson, N.Y. submitted this summary of the privy marks appearing on medals of the Monnaie de Paris. Thanks!
-Editor
These minute marks appear on the rim, generally at 6:00, along with metal designation OR, Gold; ARGENT, Silver, sometimes with added 1, 2 or 3; CUIVRE, Copper; BRONZE; or ZINC. These marks provide at least an approximation of the date of striking through 1966. Antique Lamp (Lampe Antique) . March 1832 – October 1841, Gold and Silver strikes. Anchor and C interlaced (Ancre et C) , October 1841 – Sept. 1842. Bronze, Silver, Gold. Prou Antique (Antique Prow) , 1842 – 1845. Pointing Hand (Main Indicatrice) , June 1845- October 1860. Bee (Abeille) , November 1860 – December 1879. Cornucopia (Corne d'Abondance) , Jan. 1, 1880 – present. Cornucopia plus date of actual striking, 1966 – present. At one time numbers 1, 2, or 3 joined Argent to distinguish fineness in the economically disturbed decades after World War I: Argent1 = Premier titre, believed .925 or what we call Sterling. Argent2 = .900. Argent3 = .835. This was the post-1867 statutory fineness for French minor coins of 2 Francs to 20 Centimes and cognate coins of the Latin Monetary Union nations.
In the early years the edge marks David described coincide with the term of the Paris Mint Director.
There is also a table of Paris Mint Engraver's marks at Rich Hartzog's exonomia.com web site.
Does anyone have a collection of images of these edge marks? I was unable to find much online.
-Editor
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