Image: 1767 Colonies François 12 Diniers with RF Counterstamp

Description: 1767(A) Colonies François 12 Diniers (9 Diniers with c1793 "RF" Counterstamp) "Collot" Copper Sous. 28.3mm, 10.7 gm (0.337 oz) Breen #701 Original 1767 issue and c1793 revaluation (from 12 to 9 Diniers) by RF counterstamp Minted at Paris in 1767 (Mint mark: "A") under a Royal Edict of King Louis XV of France (1710-1774) for distribution in the Caribbean colonies of the French West Indies, as with an earlier French nine Denier copper coin issued in 1722 for use in French Canada, these 1767 twelve Denier copper "Sous" were disliked and largely unaccepted in the Indies because the planchets from which they were made were considered to be underweight for the denomination and thus few ended up into circulation. The coins were eventually recalled circa 1793 and returned to Paris to be counterstamped "RF" (for République Française) and reissued in the islands as "Collots" to be passed at a rate of nine Deniers. Some of these coins made their way to New Orleans through trade where they were circulated in greater numbers after France regained the Louisiana territory from Spain in 1800 and continued to circulate in Louisiana after the United States purchased the territory in 1803. Some also made their way into other sections of US where they were accepted as one cent coins during the coin shortage following the War of 1812.

The obverse bears the mint mark "A" for Paris although this central area on the revalued coins was damaged during the counterstamping. The initials "L. XV" stand for Louis XV, while the reverse legend "SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM" translates as "Blessed is the name of the Lord." As the Bourbon monarchy had recently ended when the issue was revalued in 1793, the Royal monogram (the three Fleurs de Lys located within the crowned central wreath) of the original minting was obliterated by the counterstamp of a beaded oval containing the letters "RF" for the new French Republic.[1]
Author: Coin: Hôtel des Monnaies (Paris Mint), Paris, France.Composite image: Centpacrr
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