FRANCE - Lot 158

FRANCE Third Republic (1870-1940) One 100 franc gold coin "BAZOR", minted 1936 weight : 6,55 g The very rare 100-franc Bazor gold coin was minted from 1929 to 1936 to revitalize the franc in interwar France. The coin is named after Lucien Bazor, a French engraver of coins and medals, who studied at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts and won the 1923 Grand Prix de Rome in medal engraving. In 1930, he became Graveur général des monnaies until 1958. Bazor engraved several coins: the 100 franc gold Bazor, but also a 5 franc coin in 1933, nicknamed "Bedoucette", as well as coins for the Vichy regime (1 franc, 2 francs, 5 francs Pétain). The head of Liberty, symbolized by a stylized Marianne with short hair and a winged Phrygian cap adorned with a cockade, illustrates the obverse and overhangs the L.BAZOR signature. She is surrounded by the words "REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE" on the titulature. The reverse features a globe from which emerge an ear of corn, an olive branch and an oak branch. At the top of the coin is inscribed "100 FRANCS" and at the bottom, the year 1935 (which does not correspond to the vintage). The embossed inscription "LIBERTE ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ" appears on the titulature.