FRANCE. Silver 5 Francs Essai (Pattern), 1831. Henry V (as King in Pretense). NGC PROOF-64.

KMX-35; Maz-905; VG-2690. This fantastic looking example offers a pleasing appearance with flashy reflective surfaces and frosted devices. The beautiful, mottled patina is vivid mostly radiating from the edges and devices while the exposed areas are a soft gray with complete frosty design features. This pleasing near-Gem survivor offers great eye appeal worthy of an advance quality oriented collection. The disputed King of France for a week in early August 1830, Henry V, Comte de Chambord (1820-83), was never proclaimed king, was the Legitimist (as opposed to Orleanist or Bonapartist) pretender to the throne of France. The crown ultimately fell to a rival claimant, from the House of Orleans, Louis Philippe. Numerous patterns or fantasies exist with his bust, all struck outside of France. This one was struck in silver (shown here), bronze (Maz-905c) and piéfort (double weight, Maz-905a).