Summary
The first French 20 francs Napoleon d'Or were minted from 1803 under Napoleon Bonaparte I and from 1854 under Napoleon III.
French francs made of gold were also called Napoleons or Napoleon d'ors, even though the regent himself was not always depicted. They came in nominal values of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 francs.
Napoleon d'Or and Marianne/Coq d'Or played a major role in the Latin Monetary Union from 1865 until the First World War.
Napoleon d'Or and its successor Coq d'Or (Marianne/Cock) are particularly popular bullion coins with increasing demand due to their high mintage.
Napoleon / Coq d'Or 10 Franc: The most important facts in brief
From 1855 to 1868, Napoleon III adorned the obverse of the coin. With the abolition of the monarchy, the Emperor's head was replaced on the coin, which was only produced in relatively small quantities. In 1899 a new coin was introduced whose appearance remained unchanged until the end of the French LMU coinage.
Marianne and the Gallic cockerel - two strong symbols in France: on the obverse Marianne as the symbol of freedom of the French Revolution and national figure of the French Republic, and the cockerel on the reverse, which in French culture stands for independence, strength and bravery. To the right and left of the year of minting are a cornucopia and a torch as symbols. The mythological cornucopia is a sign of luck and wealth, while the torch stands for freedom. The design of this gold coin was created by the medallist Jules-Clement Chaplain, whose signet with J.C.C or J.C.CHAPLAIN can be seen on the obverse.
History of the Napoleon and Marianne/Cock coins
Napoleon Bonaparte I had already led the destiny of France as First Consul since 1799, before he crowned himself Emperor in 1804. The first Napoleon gold coins were introduced during his reign and featured his head crowned with a laurel wreath and the inscription Napoleon Empereur around it. They were minted with a face value of mostly 20 francs and more rarely 40 francs.
In 1852, Napoleon III, a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, seized power and had himself proclaimed emperor. The coinage system initially remained unchanged. Napoleon only replaced the obverse of the 50 franc gold coin with an image of his own head - initially without a laurel wreath - from 1855. The reverse of the early coinage depicts the imperial coat of arms: Eagle, crown, imperial cloak and the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honour as well as other symbols.
Napoleon III was the main initiator of the Latin Monetary Union, in which France as a founding member, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Greece created a uniform coinage system from 1865. This facilitated economic cooperation and trade and at the same time strengthened Napoleon's influence in Europe. The gold coins within the LMU had uniform denominations, a fixed gold content and standardised weight. A consistent system emerged that contributed significantly to France's economic stability. The Napoleon coins played a particularly large role in this.
After the final abolition of the monarchy in France, the Republic introduced new 20 franc gold pieces in 1871. These coins already bore the cockerel as a symbol of the Republic, although it was not yet the main motif. In 1899, another and final revision of the 20 franc coin followed. Now the Gallic cockerel and Marianne, the allegory of France, became the main symbols on the coins.
Significance of the Napoleon d'Or on the gold investment market today
Gold Napoleons are among the most important historical gold coins. As bullion coins, gold francs are very popular, as they are available in various nominal values and dimensions. Most of the commercial coins offered for sale date from the time of the Latin Monetary Union. Like all LMU coins, they have a fineness of 900/1000. With their high circulation strength, they are easy to buy and sell and can be obtained with a relatively low premium on the gold price. The most common is the 20 franc coin weighing 5.81 g with the motifs Napoleon I, Napoleon III and Marianne/Cock. Not all denominations of the coins were produced at all times, some were produced only briefly or with large interruptions. The commodity value of each gold piece depends on the dimension and the daily gold rate. Napoleon coins, which include Marianne Coq d'Or, also have historical and cultural value.
Monnaie de Paris: Important mint
The state mint Monnaie de Paris (mintmark A) is the oldest in the world - its predecessor was founded as early as the 9th century. Later, other mints produced gold coins, for example Strasbourg (mint mark BB), until after several phases of consolidation in 1878, the Monnaie de Paris remained the only mint with several branches in France. From 1873 until the First World War in 1914, the Monnaie de Paris minted gold coins according to the LMU standard. The gold coins not only served as a means of payment, but the motifs were also considered a means of consolidating values and political rule. The motif of the cockerel is still minted on France's commemorative coins today.
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