lf28 - Le Franc Les Essais, Les Archives - Louis XVIII (1814-1824) THÉRET Philippe, TAILLARD Michel

After le Franc, les Monnaies, les Archives (2019), le Franc d'Augustin Dupré (2021), discover le Franc, les Essais les Archives, a six-volume encyclopedia (2023-2027) that enriches and completes our knowledge of the history of the Franc between 1803 and 1870. After a first volume devoted to Napoleon I (1803-1815), the second volume devoted to Louis XVIII (1814-1824) is being published to mark the bicentenary of the king's death on September 16.

In 576 pages, the exploitation of "paper" and "metal" archives plunges the reader into the monetary history of the first phase of the Restoration. Objectivity of information, a precise and meticulous catalog (430 assays listed, compared with 112 for Guilloteau, 170 for Mazard and 187 for Gadoury 2023), market-reflective quotations and high-definition iconography, accompanied by a gallery where coins and tools rub shoulders, are the major assets of this work, which is a must-discover!

Philippe Théret and Michel Taillard supported by the associations ADF (Friends of the Franc) and ADAN (Friends of Numismatic Authors) have worked to provide collectors and professionals with new tools to approach the fascinating field of French essays of the period 1803 to 1870. That is to say from the creation of the Germinal Franc under Napoleon Bonaparte to the fall of Napoleon III.
The field of essays is wide: coin design contest essays, design trials, splashers, trial strikes, patterns, branch mint trials, political propaganda essay strikes (Napoleon II, Henri V...), presentation strikes for dignitaries, proof strikes, restrikes for collectors, Mint Visit strikes (Paris mint and branch mints)...
A collection of six volumes (one per period) are in preparation since mid 2021.
The most important public institutions have collaborated in the realization of these works:
• The Monnaie de Paris opened the doors of its cabinet (4,500 photos taken) but also those of the redzone
of the Pessac mint, where the museum's monetary tools are kept (12,000 photos taken);
• The BnF (Bibliothèque Nationale de France) allowed us to study and photograph their prestigious19th
century period, numismatic collections (5,000 photos taken);
• The Carnavalet Museum and its most precious numismatic collection (2,500 photos taken);
• The cabinet of the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique.
It is clear that public collections contributed very largely to the census to produce the various works. But it would nevertheless be simplistic to only take these sources into account. These collections, as admirable as they are, do not have all the different essays. The catalogs of the different sales over time have made it possible not only to refine this inventory but also to assess the frequencies of appearance, rarities, prices and their evolution. In addition to these important contributions, 160,000 pages of archives have been digitized over the past 20 years.
This has allowed to better understand the essays and in many cases the manufacturing figures!
For this series of books, the structure of each book will remain the same: the first part will be dedicated to the archives, a second part dedicated to the census catalog (with price quotes) and finally a third part, the Gallery, with full page photo plates.
The first volume covering the period of Napoleon I, from 1803 to 1815 was released in november 2023

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