France remembers the death of the sculpture Auguste Rodin a century on with the release of a face value silver coin duo
The Monnaie de Paris has launched its latest range of Face value coins following on from the beautiful Marianne designs it launched in December. Depicting the acclaimed French sculptor Auguste Rodin, this is a fine-looking and interesting coin. Unlike Marianne, Rodin is only available in silver, coming in €10 and €100 forms.
The difference between the two versions isn’t just one of weight. While the more expensive coin is 50g compared to just 17g for the €10 piece, there’s also a major difference in the fineness of the silver used to make it. A common quality in French numismatics, 0.900 silver is in use again for the €100 coin, but unfortunately, the smaller denomination is struck in just 0.333 silver. Called billon, it’s an alloy of a minority of precious metal mixed with a larger quantity of base metal. The ratio used here is similar to that used in the 5th/6th century BC on the island of Lesbos where the ratio was 60% copper to 40% silver. Whether that has a detrimental impact on its attractiveness to collectors remains to be seen, but you have to bear in mind the price of only €10 and the fact most coins in that price range carry no silver content at all.
The design at least is a good one in our view. Depicting a portrait of the artist Rodin next to a part of his most famous work, the statue The Thinker, the change from realistic to stylistic through the use of a circular transition line is a neat one and does draw the eye to focusing on the main, realistic section very well. Inscriptions are limited to Rodins’ autograph and the dates of his life.
The obverse is the same one that has adorned Marianne and others like the Hercules and Rooster coins for several years now. A hexagonal pattern near the rim is meant to depict France. Inside are the inscriptions for the denomination and issuer. Surrounding the text are two branches, one of laurel and one of oak. Other than the denomination, the design is identical between the two sizes. The larger coin comes mounted in a card. Available now for €10 and €100, these uncirculated finish coins are limited to 150,000 and 10,000 examples respectively.
2017 AUGUSTE RODIN SILVER COIN
AUGUSTE RODIN
François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917), known as Auguste Rodin, was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past. He was schooled traditionally, took a craftsman-like approach to his work, and desired academic recognition, although he was never accepted into Paris’s foremost school of art.
Sculpturally, Rodin possessed a unique ability to model a complex, turbulent, deeply pocketed surface in clay. Many of his most notable sculptures were roundly criticized during his lifetime. They clashed with predominant figurative sculpture traditions, in which works were decorative, formulaic, or highly thematic. Rodin’s most original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. Rodin was sensitive to the controversy surrounding his work, but refused to change his style. Successive works brought increasing favor from the government and the artistic community.
From the unexpected realism of his first major figure – inspired by his 1875 trip to Italy – to the unconventional memorials whose commissions he later sought, Rodin’s reputation grew, such that he became the preeminent French sculptor of his time. By 1900, he was a world-renowned artist. Wealthy private clients sought Rodin’s work after his World’s Fair exhibit, and he kept company with a variety of high-profile intellectuals and artists. He married his lifelong companion, Rose Beuret, in the last year of both their lives. His sculptures suffered a decline in popularity after his death in 1917, but within a few decades, his legacy solidified. Rodin remains one of the few sculptors widely known outside the visual arts community.
(Source: Wikipedia)
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MINTS DESCRIPTION
- Face value coin, guaranteed value in circulating quality
- Commemoration of Auguste Rodin’s passing away
- Tribute paid to French sculpture
SPECIFICATION
| NAME | 2017 AUGUSTE RODIN | 2017 AUGUSTE RODIN |
| DENOMINATION | €10 Euro | €100 Euro |
| COMPOSITION | 0.333 silver | 0.900 silver |
| WEIGHT | 17.0 grams | 50.0 grams |
| DIAMETER | 31.0 mm | 47.0 mm |
| FINISH | Uncirculated | Uncirculated |
| MODIFICATIONS | None | None |
| MINTAGE | 150,000 | 10,000 |
| BOX / COA | No / Yes | Card / Yes |
10 euro 333/1000 silver 18g
100 euro 900/1000 silver 50g
Thanks. Typo on fineness fixed but the small coin is 17.0g