France • 2 francs
This French silver two-franc guide covers identified .835 Cérès KM817 and no-mark Sower KM845.1 issues. The designated reference melt reference gives 10 g nominal gross mass and .2684 fine silver troy ounce per matching coin. Thirty actual issue years are supported, with gaps and two proof-only Cérès dates. The photographs show a genuine 1899 Sower two-franc. Earlier .900 catalogue records and the distinct .8352 1914-C records are explained below and excluded from this calculator.
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Thirty supported years across .835 KM817.1/KM817.2 and no-mark KM845.1. Cérès 1878/1889 are proof-only; large/small A appears in 1870/1871 and large/small K in 1871. Sower proof rows occur in 1898/1900; no 1903/1906/1907/1911 rows. Conflicting .900 KM807/KM816 and .8352 1914-C KM845.2 records are excluded from this calculator and separately tracked.
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
The illustrated obverse has a full-length Sower moving left, scattering seed, with RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE around the rim. O. ROTY is visible below the figure. The source photograph preserves the worn surface and complete face as a transparent cutout. Earlier included Cérès KM817 coins show a laureate head facing left instead. A similar head also occurs in excluded early Cérès records, so the portrait alone cannot choose purity or settle an overlapping mint-year attribution.
The photographed reverse shows 2 FRANCS above a leafy branch, 1899 beneath it and LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ around the border. The numeral and plural denomination distinguish it from a one-franc piece with similar artwork. Included Cérès reverses have their denomination within a wreath. Read the actual mint letter and date rather than using the design alone. The photograph illustrates the no-mark Sower family and does not show an earlier Cérès or a C-marked 1914 proof.
The reference organizes the French two-franc records into imperial, early republican Cérès, later Cérès and Sower catalogues. This guide’s supported .835 dated tables are KM817.1, KM817.2 and KM845.1. Their actual annual rows are narrower than a continuous 1870–1920 sequence. Other overlapping records display different fineness fields and remain separate research. The broad melt-table heading is retained as a family reference without overriding the need to identify an individual coin’s exact type and composition.
Confirm 2 FRANCS, a supported actual year, the Cérès or Sower design and any mint letter. The sourced nominal standard for the included types is 10 g, 27 mm and a reeded edge. Keep real measurements separate and photograph the edge. A Paris A or Bordeaux K in an early date needs exact catalogue attribution because KM816 and KM817 overlap. A 1914 C requires separate review. Leave unresolved, plated or altered pieces out of this counted group.
One matching coin contributes .2684 reference fine silver troy ounce under the designated reference melt reference. Three matching pieces total .8052 reference ounce and 30 nominal gross grams. Nominal silver mass is 10 g × .835 = 8.35 g per coin. The dated type tables show .2685 ASW instead; the discrepancy is disclosed and the supplied melt value is used consistently. Do not calculate by treating all 10 gross grams as silver or by mixing excluded compositions into the same lot.
The 30 supported years are 1870–1873, 1878, 1881, 1887–1889, 1894–1895, 1898–1902, 1904–1905, 1908–1910 and 1912–1920. The 1878 and 1889 Cérès entries are proof-only. Unlike the one-franc Sower list, this two-franc table does not fill 1903, 1906, 1907 or 1911. Large/small mint letters and proofs require examination of the actual coin. The excluded early and 1914-C records are displayed separately so overlapping dates cannot silently change the calculator’s scope.
The actual dates are 1870–1873, 1878, 1881, 1887–1889 and 1894–1895. The 1878 and 1889 rows are proof-only. Large A and small A appear in 1870 and 1871. Its .835 fineness matches the designated melt reference; the dated table’s .2685 ASW differs from the controlling .2684.
The two dated issues are 1871 and 1872. Large K and small K varieties are listed in 1871. Its 10 g/.835 specification matches this guide’s nominal standard. A K-marked coin must be attributed to the exact type because the separate KM816.2 also includes overlapping early dates.
Actual dates are 1898–1902, 1904–1905, 1908–1910 and 1912–1920. The annual table does not list 1903, 1906, 1907 or 1911. It also lists proof entries in 1898 and 1900. The pictured 1899 coin illustrates this design; the table explicitly notes no mint mark.
The reference lists 1870-A for KM816.1 and 1870-K/1871-K for KM816.2. The 1870-K rows carry separate (a) and (s) labels. Both type records display .900 fineness and .2894 ASW, conflicting with the broad .835 melt envelope. Do not count these overlapping dates as KM817 coins without exact type attribution.
These tables display .900/.2894 and imperial portrait/arms designs. Paris annual rows cover 1866–1870; the inspected BB annual table covers 1866–1869 despite a separate search result for 1870-BB. That mismatch remains unresolved. These types do not inherit this guide’s .835 calculator.
Separate regular and matte-proof records both display 10 g, .8352 fineness and .2685 ASW. Their fineness differs from the designated .835 melt reference. The guide documents these varieties but leaves them outside this calculation pending source clarification. An ordinary no-mark 1914 issue is a different supported record.
Record the whole date, exact catalogue type, mint letter, legend and finish before considering collector interest. Proof-only dates and documented matte-proof C records need careful attribution; the worn 1899 illustration does not demonstrate proof surfaces or a grade. Keep packaging, certificates and provenance attached to the correct piece. Avoid cleaning the surface to expose lettering. Reference silver content is only one characteristic, and a collectible assessment depends on the actual coin, condition and reliable identification.
Supply clear images of both whole faces and the edge, including the complete date and any A, K or C. Record measured mass and diameter without replacing the nominal source figures. Similar Sower artwork, approximately 10 g and silver colour do not prove purity or authenticity. Conflicting early catalogue fields require specialist type review rather than an assumed conversion. These licensed images illustrate one genuine 1899 coin and do not authenticate or assay a customer’s collection.
Sort supported .835 two-franc coins away from one-franc and five-franc silver, gold francs, later base-metal denominations and unresolved early/C-marked pieces. Count only identified KM817 or no-mark KM845.1 examples in this calculator. Use the existing appraisal form with full-face photographs, date, mint letter, type information and available measurements. Live dollar pricing remains unavailable. The displayed ounces are reference metal content and do not establish a purchase offer, collectible premium or amount recoverable from a worn piece.
The user-designated reference melt table and its France two-franc detail page report 10 g nominal gross mass, .835 fineness and .2684 fine silver troy ounce. KM817.1, KM817.2 and KM845.1 agree on mass and fineness but show .2685 ASW; this calculator retains the designated melt value .2684 without averaging or claiming that the difference is resolved. Those three types give 27 mm and a reeded edge. KM807 and KM816 show .900/.2894; KM845.2 1914-C records show .8352/.2685. These conflicting type records are excluded from this calculator and tracked separately. Thickness and remaining alloy-metal identities are not verified. Nominal figures do not establish a customer assay or authentication. The thirty-year scope was read from actual annual rows in the three supported tables; the six conflicting records are retained as separate research evidence rather than silently normalized. The designated melt detail was inspected again on 2026-10-11 and displayed .2684. A. Delesse (Prométhée) photographed the two faces of the 1899 Sower coin; both source pages independently permit CC BY-SA 3.0. The source-provided PNG cutouts are converted to WebP at 780 × 795 and 831 × 831 pixels, retaining transparency and the same licence without upscaling or altering coin artwork.
It uses .2684 fine silver troy ounce per identified .835 coin, following the designated reference melt reference. Three matching coins total .8052 reference ounce. Dated tables show .2685; that difference is disclosed rather than averaged or silently substituted.
The supported no-mark table lists 1898–1902, 1904–1905, 1908–1910 and 1912–1920. It does not list 1903, 1906, 1907 or 1911. The one-franc denomination has a different annual list.
An early K requires exact type attribution because the reference’s KM816 and KM817 records overlap while displaying different fineness. The 1914-C KM845.2 records show .8352 rather than the designated .835 and are excluded here. Keep unresolved pieces separate for review.
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
France • 83.5% silver; remaining alloy metals not verified
Issue years: 1871–1873, 1878, 1881, 1887–1889, 1894–1895, 1898–1920
Fine silver: 0.134200 troy oz
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
France • 90.000% silver; balance copper
Issue years: 1870–1878, 1889 (proof)
Fine silver: 0.723400 troy oz
Photographs can help identify your coin. An appraisal may consider authenticity, condition and collector demand as well as metal content.
Request a photo appraisal View current silver coin buying information
