40-franc coin from 1834, Louis Philippe I (type "with laurel wreath")

A large, historically significant gold coin with a face value of 40 francs, minted in Paris in 1834, during the reign of the "king-citizen" Louis Philippe I of Orleans. It is an example of classic French medal art of the mid-19th century and is an excellent example of heavy European investment and collectible gold.

900 gold samples. Weight 12.90 g. Diameter:26 mm. Mint: Paris (letter "A") Circulation 301,979 copies. The general engraver is Nicolas-Pierre Tiolier, the author of the portrait is Joseph-François Domard.

Obverse: profile portrait of King Louis Philippe I wearing a laurel wreath, facing left. There is a circular legend along the edge: "LOUIS PHILIPPE I ROI DES FRANÇAIS". ("Louis Philippe I, King of the French"). The medallist's signature is located under the base of the neck: DOMARD F. Reverse: in the center, the denomination and date of minting are indicated in three lines: 40 / FRANCS / 1834, enclosed in a massive wreath of two laurel branches tied with a ribbon at the bottom. The mint director's badge (anchor) is located at the bottom left, the letter A (Paris) is located on the right, and the general engraver's badge (asterisk) is located strictly in the center under the ribbon node. Edge: indented inscription in French "DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE" ("God protects France"). Guarantee of authenticity.

Very good collector's condition (XF). The coin has an even golden color with a beautiful patina. There is a moderate noble wear of the most prominent relief details (the curls of the king's hairstyle on the obverse and the streaks of laurel wreath leaves on the reverse). The fields are clean, there are small surface traces of handling (micro scratches) that do not affect the visual perception of the object. The edging is smooth, without rough nicks and traces of mounting into jewelry.

The 40-franc coin type with a laurel wreath was minted from 1831 to 1839. The title "King of the French" instead of the traditional "King of France" emphasized the constitutional nature of the power of Louis Philippe, who was enthroned by the July Revolution of 1830. Due to the relatively small circulation (compared to standard 20-franc coins), the 40-franc denomination is much less common and is in consistently high demand among numismatists.