FRANCE - THIRD REPUBLIC - 2 FRANCS SEMEUSE 1900 PARIS - MATTE PROOF - NGC PF63 MATTE

Third Republic (1870-1940), 2 francs Semeuse, 1900, struck at Paris as a matte proof.

Obverse: the Sower walking left towards the rising sun, sowing broadcast, signed O. Roty. Reverse: denomination 2 FRANCS and date 1900 with an olive branch, motto LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ.

Matte proof, with a deep velvety bloom, barely touched. Proof.

Note: the 1900 2 francs Semeuse matte proof is a trial or presentation striking produced in very small numbers, distinct from the regular circulation issue. The matte proof process gives the coin a velvety appearance very different from the usual brilliant finish of proofs: the devices are satiny, while the fields show a characteristic uniform matte texture. It is a technique reserved for prestige strikings, often intended for the 1900 Exposition Universelle or as official gifts.