Napoleon III Specimen Pattern 5 Francs 1853 SP62 PCGS, KM-PnA90, Maz-1635 (R3). The first of this rare Pattern struck at the inception of Napoleon III's reign that we have brought to auction. The legends, which invoke his divine right as Emperor of the French, are unique to this design, suggesting that its production did not so much anticipate a derivative issue for circulation so much as it was intended to stand as a presentation piece for the leader and his entourage. Vivid lavender and azure tones pool in the fields and rendezvous with lime green and sepia in the legends, creating the illusion of a rainbow in the liminal space between the two. The reverse faces up particularly well, enjoying ample luster that races around the flan.

HID09801242017

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