How to Identify the Cambodia Two Francs

Begin with the two legends, because they settle the type quickly. The obverse should read NORODOM I ROI DU CAMBODGE around a side profile of the king, with the small engraver signature C. WURDEN and the date 1860 in the field. The reverse should spell the value as DEUX FRANCS above an ornate coat of arms. If either legend is missing or reads a different value, you are looking at another coin.

Read the reverse heraldry carefully. The Norodom arms show an oval shield set on a draped, ermine-style mantle and crowned by a tall conical royal crown, framed with decorative script. This crowned-shield motif is shared across the franc and centime denominations, so the coat of arms alone does not fix the value; you must pair it with the spelled-out DEUX FRANCS to confirm this is the two-franc piece rather than the one franc or four francs.

Check size and metal. This is a crown-sized coin of roughly 27 to 28 millimeters with a milled, reeded edge. The standard version is silver at about 10 grams; a copper-nickel example will match the diameter and design but feel harder and brighter and weigh differently, which is a signal that it is a pattern or restrike rather than a normal currency strike. Weigh and measure the coin and compare it against catalog specifications for the metal you think you have.

Be alert to the series' complex striking history. The same 1860-dated dies were used for original coins and for later restrikes at workshops linked to Brussels, Birmingham and Phnom Penh, so sharpness and surface quality vary. Very crisp, even strikes tend to be earlier products, while granular, slightly irregular fields can indicate later restrikes from worn or long-stored dies. None of this is proof by itself, but it helps place a piece within the series.

On authentication, this is exactly the kind of scarce, higher-value type where careful attribution matters. Off-metal strikings such as copper-nickel demand extra caution, since documentation differs between references and desirable patterns invite modern copies. Confirm the portrait style, the exact legends, the weight and diameter, and the edge, and when a coin is valuable or unusual seek an expert opinion or a reputable catalog reference before treating an attribution as settled.