Written by the Maison Or & Bijoux Cagnes-sur-Mer team · updated
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Metal | Silver, 900‰ fine |
| Weight | 25 g |
| Fine silver | 22.5 g |
| Diameter | 37 mm |
| Thickness | 2.7 mm |
| Edge | Decorated in relief (emblems and stars) |
| Years struck | 1965 to 1973; trial and pre-series dated 1964 |
| Mint | Paris Mint |
| Engraver | Augustin Dupré (design), Raymond Joly (edge) |
| References | Le Franc F.364, Gadoury 813, KM 932 |
| Demonetised | 1980 |
At 37 mm and 25 g, the 10 francs Hercule is the largest silver coin of the 1960s new franc. The group of three figures and the edge decorated with small emblems are enough to identify it. Hardly ever spent, it was put away by the roll, which is why it turns up so often in family estates.
Three standing figures: Hercules in the centre rests his hands on the shoulders of Liberty, on the left, holding a pike topped with a Phrygian cap, and of Equality, on the right, holding a level. The motto “LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE” runs round the edge, with the signature DUPRÉ below the figures.
“10 FRANCS” in the centre of a wreath of leaves, the date below and the circular legend “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” (French Republic). Look for two tiny symbols: a cornucopia, the mark of the Paris Mint, and an owl, the mark of Chief Engraver Raymond Joly.
Up to 1970, every date exceeds one million coins, except 1969. After that, output drops sharply. When going through a batch, set aside 1969 and the last three years, 1971 to 1973, and keep any coin dated 1964 apart from the rest.
| Year | Mintage | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 131 | Pre-series, without the word ESSAI. Its own engraving details (see below). |
| 1964 | 3,500 | Trial, with the word ESSAI (trial). |
| 1965 | 8,085,500 | First year in circulation. |
| 1966 | 9,806,671 | Very common. |
| 1967 | 10,101,805 | Highest mintage. Variety with an accent on the E of REPUBLIQUE. |
| 1968 | 3,887,400 | Common. |
| 1969 | 760,550 | Fewer than one million struck. |
| 1970 | 4,808,500 | Common. |
| 1971 | 513,000 | Reduced mintage. |
| 1972 | 915,000 | Reduced mintage. |
| 1973 | 206,500 | Last year, lowest mintage apart from 1964. |
Figures from Numista and BDOR, uncirculated sets included. The Le Franc catalogue, followed by French Wikipedia, gives 8,050,500, 9,799,500 and 10,099,500 for 1965, 1966 and 1967; the sources agree from 1968 onwards.
These coins rarely come alone: they turn up by the dozen, in bank rolls, biscuit tins or plastic tubes. Sorting in three steps saves time.
Leave the coins as they are, even if tarnished. A numismatist can do this sorting with you during a free assessment.
If in doubt, kitchen scales that read to the gram and a fridge magnet are enough for a first check. The rest is explained in how to spot a fake coin.
As they did not circulate much, most coins show little wear. What separates an ordinary coin from a collector's coin then comes down to a few precise areas.
Under an angled lamp, a coin rubbed with household cleaner shows a network of fine lines and an even sheen, without the original lustre. The damage cannot be undone. Grades are described on the grading guide, and the mistakes to avoid in cleaning a coin.
The Hercules group goes back to the Revolution: Augustin Dupré drew it in 1794 for the first coins in francs. It returned on the 5 francs écus of the Second and Third Republics.
Early in the Fifth Republic, after the 1960 new franc reform, the Paris Mint brought Hercules back for a silver 10 francs, trialled in 1964 and released in 1965. But silver soon became dearer. The French preferred to keep these large coins, and striking stopped after 1973, with falling mintages in the final years.
From 1974, a 10 francs in base metal took over, and the Hercules design moved to the silver 50 francs. After 1975, some of the coins were melted down. The 10 francs Hercule was demonetised in 1980. Its place in the coinage of the time is described on the page on francs from 1960 to 2001.
No mint ever operated on the Côte d'Azur: every 10 francs Hercule comes from the Paris Mint. In family estates in the area, they often sit alongside coins from Monaco, which struck its own silver coins with the portrait of Prince Rainier III in the same period. The check is simple: the French coin reads “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” and shows the Hercules group, the Monegasque one bears the name of the Principality and the prince's portrait. In Cagnes-sur-Mer as elsewhere, sort the two series separately before taking any further step.
Sort the coins by year. Dates from 1965 to 1968 and 1970 are the most frequent; set aside 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and any coin dated 1964. Do not clean them.
Every 10 francs Hercule from 1965 to 1973 is 900‰ silver. A genuine one weighs 25 g, measures 37 mm and does not react to a magnet. A different weight almost always points to a copy.
If the word ESSAI appears on the reverse, yes. If not, it may be the pre-series, struck in 131 pieces: check for the hand of justice at the top of the pike and the two stars around the signature, then show it to a numismatist.
No. The coin was demonetised in 1980. It no longer has any monetary use and is now of interest to collectors only.