Given enough time, what was once worth a penny can skyrocket in value. This goes beyond the saying "what is one man's trash is another man's treasure," because the value inherent in world coins is not at all arbitrary. Each coin that is ever minted represents an important part of a nation's history. Once coins go out of circulation, they become collectible items, and in some cases end up becoming quite rare. Nowhere are these features of collectible currencies more apparent than in the coins of Australia and France.
Unique Features Born of Their Times
Part of what gives world coins historic value lies in the fact that certain minting techniques only occur during certain periods of history. Take, for instance, the Australian florins issued between 1938 and 1963. These coins feature a background of a golden wattle plant as well as a shield containing the six states of Australia. The florins minted between 1910 and 1936, on the other hand, contain the Southern Cross constellation in the shield and a seven-pointed star. Comparing these limited releases demonstrates the evolution of not only coin-minting techniques but styles as well.
The French franc perhaps goes even farther into the reaches of history, and in some ways we can learn more from an older coin than we can from a history book. You can see a distinct difference between francs minted after the French Revolution and those minted in earlier times. After the French Revolutionary Convention of 1795, the franc was released as a silver currency as part of the decimal unit system. Before this standardization was implemented, different kings would typically produce new gold francs based on different valuation standards. This is why in many of the older coins, you find unique and personalized designs reflecting the regime at the times.
The Exciting Nature of Limited Coin Releases
Every new release of a world coin comes in different quantities. Sometimes, for various reasons, a coin of a certain type released in a certain year is minted in very small numbers. In most years between 1911 and 1965, millions of pennies were minted each year. In some instances, however, only thousands were produced, such as in 1946, 1931 and 1914. One particularly rare Australian penny is from the year of 1930. It is not known how many of these coins were actually produced, though some estimate that there were approximately 1,600 made. For any coin collector, a coin of a very limited release is worth far more than one cent. In the case of the 1930 penny, coin collectors will pay more than A$45,000 for one.
French francs follow a similar pattern of rarity. Some years have seen a version minted in nearly uncountable amounts, while others have extremely limited productions. One of the best examples of this is the 1889 proof gold franc, produced during what is known as the Belle Epoque. By then, gold coins were quite rare, and only 100 of these coins were ever struck. Most of the modern francs are made using aluminum, copper and nickel. This, in addition to the limited number of surviving coins from the pre-World War II period, makes any gold or silver francs from that time highly sought after.
Find Rare and Collectible Coins of All Kinds
Obtaining coins of historic value can be a challenge. If you are seeking something that was released in very small numbers, you may not even be sure of where to look. Thankfully some vendors do the hard work of locating these precious coins for you. At Colonial Acres Coins, you can find some of the most prized Australian florins and pennies in addition to many different French francs.
