Mint State Gold

 

The French Gold Rooster, like the country it represents, has a rich and complicated history. As an investment and bullion coin, our Mint State Gold clients have found that the French Gold Rooster performs well in the international market place and has historically yielded tight spreads between buying and selling prices. For this reason, we believe the 20-franc French Gold coin is an excellent investment choice.

 

About that complicated history: The French Gold Rooster was produced for a limited mintage of 16 years. For the last seven years of the issue, coins dated 1907-1914 have been officially declared restrikes. The French Gold coin was restruck by the Paris Mint in a few later years. Later still, the French Mint of Monnaie de Paris minted golden francs for circulation on and off until the time France adopted the Euro in 2002.

 

The restrike was called la refrappe Pinay (the Pinay restrike). The difference between the original coins (1899-1906) and the restrikes is the edge: The original inscription read Dieu Protege la France (God Save France); for the restrike it read Liberte Egalite Fraternite (Liberty Equality Fraternity). Otherwise, there’s no difference between the coins. A feature of most of these restrike coins is that they can sometimes come in Brilliant Uncirculated condition (a hard find with 100+ year old coins).

 

The use of the Gallic Rooster as a symbol came to France from the Romans. In 58-52 BCE, the Romans conquered the region and named it Gallia (Gaul). This sounded similar to another Roman word, galus, meaning rooster. Because of the similarity between the two, Gaul would be confused with galus and so the association stuck.

 

In the 6^th century CE, the Germanic Franks would conquer the Roman province. In the 14^th century, coins were inscribed with Francorum Rex, (King of the Franks) in deference to the reign of Jean le Bon (1350-64). By 1795, Franc became the official name of the currency.

 

Mint State Gold by Stuppler has many of these beautiful coins in stock, dates will vary – all will be dated pre-1933.

 

More on the features of French Gold Rooster:

• The Rooster was minted from 1898 to 1914; production was halted with the start of World War 1
• French Gold coins are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 5-franc to 100-franc
• On the coin’s obverse is an image of the Marianne, a personification of liberty and reason and the national symbol of the French Republic; on the reverse is the rooster, the unofficial symbol of French pride and culture
• The French Gold coin is often seen as a great value in fractional gold bullion – premiums over their gold melt value are often available less per ounce than what you’d expect to pay for modern ¼ ounce American Gold Eagle or Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
• The Most Popular and in demand size is the 20 franc. The coin contains about 1/5 of an ounce of gold at typically lower premiums than modern gold fractional bullion. A great value.
• Reliefs on both sides of the Rooster were created by legendary French sculptor, medalist, and presidential portraitist of France, Jules-Clement Chaplain; the rooster is known to the French as le coq gaulois; his medals for Nicholas and Alexandria of Russia were said to be the finest ever struck

 

Because the French Gold Rooster symbolizes the French Revolution, it holds additional value for its historical significance. Among our collection of gold coins offered for sale from Mint State Gold by Stuppler, are coins from the many various regional French mints. Each French Gold coin will have special identifying marks, giving them additional investment and numismatic value. Since 1878, the Monnaie de Paris has been the sole French mint producing coins.

 

To learn more about the French Gold Rooster and see how it could fit into your investment portfolio, please contact us here and a highly experienced Mint State Gold representative will be happy to assist you with all your questions.

 

 

French Gold Rooster Coin Specifications

 

 

French Gold Angel Coin Specifications

 

Metal(s) Produced	Gold
Purity	90% Gold
Year(s) Minted	1907 to 1914
Where Minted	Paris Mint (Add'l Mints Vary)
Composition	0.1867 Gold
Total Weight	0.207 troy oz
Denomination	20 Francs
Thickness	1.4 mm
Diameter	21 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business

 

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The 20-franc French Gold Angel coin, also known as The Lucky Angel / Genius, has a proven record of performance crossing decades. It continues to be in high demand as an investment and Bullion Plus coin. With its general strong market demand and competitive buy and sell spreads, the French Gold Angel makes an excellent investment choice. Compared to similar-sized fractional gold bullion coins, the 20-franc Gold Angel has shown a strong liquidity and market demand, especially in Europe. Many gold investors have chosen French Gold coins over modern Gold Eagles and Gold Maple Leafs as the investment of choice.

 

• French Gold Angels are five to ten times rarer and can be more coveted in Almost Uncirculated to Uncirculated Condition than its younger sibling the French Gold Rooster gold coins
• Angels were minted from 1871 to 1898; because of their age, Angels are generally delivered in extra fine to almost or lightly circulated condition
• French Gold Angels come in a variety of sizes from the 5 to 100-franc; we’ve found that there’s a far greater demand and better buyback values for 20-franc coins – especially for purchases where the coin size is about 1/5 ounce of gold each – and for this reason 20-franc coins are the ones we most recommend
• Angels were Europe’s first currency coin, became the basis for Europe’s first monetary union, and facilitated world trade
• Also called the Genius coin for its depiction of the Angel of that name signing the French constitution on the obverse; on the reverse, a wreath surrounds the coin’s denomination
• The coin was designed by French sculptor Augustine Dupré; prior to designing the Angel, he was known for his work engraving sword hilts and sculpting medals; while working as the medalist to the King Louis XVI, Thomas Jefferson – at that time, the United States' minister to Paris – selected Dupré to design a gold medal to honor naval officer John Paul Jones – he would later also design a medal for Benjamin Franklin

 

The Legend of Lucky

Of the three legends surrounding the French Gold Angel coin and its designer, the most popular had to do with Augustine Dupré facing execution by guillotine during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. As he knelt before the blade, he pulled a Gold Angel from his pocket, rubbed it for luck and whispered a prayer. A bolt of lightning struck nearby and in the ensuing panic, his execution was halted. Six months later he was freed and till the end of his days claimed that his Lucky French Angel had saved him.

 

Napoleon was so moved by the story he also carried the coin for luck. It is said he lost his coin the day before he met defeat at Waterloo. Its power as an amulet of luck continued through both World Wars and was often carried by Aircraft/Boat Captains to insure a safe return home after a mission.

 

Though Dupré designed the coin in 1793, the French Gold Angel coin wasn’t minted until almost 80 years later in 1871. Dupré wouldn’t have lived to see its minting. If he did unpocket a coin before the guillotine, it was more likely a Gold 1 Louis d'Or. Nonetheless, the legend of the Lucky Gold Angel was born.

 

To learn more about the Gold Angel and see how the French Gold coin could fit well into your investment portfolio, please contact us here and an experienced Mint State Gold representative will be happy to see how we can assist you.

 

French Gold Angel Coin Specifications

 

Metal(s) Produced	Gold
Purity	90% Gold
Year(s) Minted	1878 to 1898
Where Minted	Paris Mint (Add'l Mints Vary)
Composition	0.1867 Gold
Total Weight	0.207 troy oz
Denomination	20 Francs
Thickness	1.4 mm
Diameter	21 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business

 

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The British Gold Sovereign may have the coolest backstory of any coin on the market. The coin was first issued in 1489 in tribute to King Henry VII’s victory of the throne. He would be the first monarch of the long reign of the House of Tudor, a line that continues to today, and the last King to seize the throne through war. His taking of the throne was a climax to nearly century of skullduggery and intrigue that included brother against brother plots, assassinations, skirmishes, and strife – a real life Game of Thrones. It’s no coincidence that the popular television series loosely based its plot on the chaos of the period.

 

The British Gold Sovereign holds the distinction of being the world’s most recognized and respected medium of exchange for over 500 years. At Mint State Gold by Stuppler, the Gold Sovereigns we offer are from a series introduced in 1816. Since that time, the reverse of the Sovereign has depicted an image of Saint George slaying the dragon. With some modifications, the original image has remained on the coin as it’s produced today.

 

Over the years, the coin’s obverse has featured the contemporary monarchs of the time and on occasion may have included several portraits over the course of a single monarch's reign.

 

At Mint State Gold, depending on present availability, we may have a variety of random year Gold Sovereign coins available, both pre- and post-1933. Although we at Mint State Gold strongly recommend the pre-1933 coinage for many beneficial reasons.

 

Other notable features of the British Gold Sovereign:

• The British Gold Sovereign is just about ¼ ounce in gold and doesn’t display a denomination;
• Monarchs featured on the coin’s obverse include Edward VII, George V, Victoria, and Elizabeth II
• Coins dated prior to 1934 may offer additional benefits for Bullion Plus investors
• The design was created by renowned Italian-born engraver Benedetto Pistrucci who also engraved the dyes himself
• Also unique to the Sovereign is the fact that the British Royal Mint has also minted the coins around the globe; mints in Australia, India, Canada, and South Africa have all occasionally produced coins
• The Gold Sovereign, along with the early 20-franc French Gold coin and the Swiss Gold coin, have a large following of collectors whom appreciate that high unlikelihood that these coins would be recalled should the U.S. decide to embark on another gold confiscation

 

Mint State Gold by Stuppler has helped tens of thousands of coin collectors and sellers learn more about their collections. If you’d like to learn more about the British Gold Sovereign or other investment and collectible coins and see how they could fit into your investment portfolio, please contact us here and an experienced Mint State Gold representative will be happy to assist you any way we can.

 

British Gold Sovereign Coin Specifications

 

Metal(s) Produced	Gold
Purity	90% Gold
Year(s) Minted	1878 to 1898
Where Minted	Paris Mint (Add'l Mints Vary)
Composition	0.1867 Gold
Total Weight	0.207 troy oz
Denomination	20 Francs
Thickness	1.4 mm
Diameter	21 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business

 

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Coinage of the Swiss Gold Helvetia series was authorized by the law in 1896. A year before artist and medalist Fritz Landry won a design competition to create the final rendering of Helvetia, the Swiss version of Lady Liberty (her name is a tribute to the ancient Gaulic and Celtic peoples who once inhabited the territories of Switzerland, also called Confoederatio Helvetica by the Romans). The jury would demand several rounds of changes to transform her profile from the romantic and “frivolous” to the more mature and serious looking figure we know today.

 

Before Switzerland was known as the world’s premier banker and secret wealth stash, it was a country with a dizzyingly chaotic monetary system. With every canton, city, abbey, principality, and lordship printing their own currency, plus foreign and older currencies in majority use, there were 860 coins in general circulation by the end of the 18^th century. By 1820, the number would be 8,000! And worse, all these various forms of legal tender were inconsistent in value and denomination. All this for a country of just over 2 million people at a time when yodeling across hill and dale was still the major form of communication (the telephone was still decades away).

 

To address this monetary madness, reforms were enacted in 1850 and, for the first time, the financial system would be unified under a single currency unit. Though the Swiss franc had been issued in 1803, it wasn’t until the reforms 47 years later that the Swiss government would be the only entity allowed to mint a nationalized currency.

 

The final authorized figure of “Swiss Miss,” as she’s affectionately known by locals, would feature a garland of Edelweiss around her neck and a backdrop of the Alps crossing the coin’s span. Known as Vreneli in Switzerland, legend says the coin’s name comes from a character in the popular Swiss folk tale William Tell.

 

Other notable features of the Swiss Gold Helvetia:

• The Swiss Gold Helvetia is one of the world’s most popular pre-1933 European gold coins and traditionally trades at low premiums over the gold price
• The Helvetia Swiss Gold coin was originally released in 1897 and was struck every year after until 1936 – ceased due to the Great Depression – when their legal tender status ended; because of the coin’s popularity, some restrikes were issued.
• Though the coin has been produced in various sizes the 20 Franc has been shown to be the most popular historically by far.
• The 20-francs Helvetia was part of an extensive European program to develop a uniform gold currency unit under the Latin Monetary Union which also included the French Gold Napoleon coin as well as the Greek drachmae, the Italian Lire, the Belgium franc, and others
• These coins are very finely detailed and should only be purchased in high quality grades of Uncirculated to Brilliant Uncirculated; the coins may exhibit a few minor scratches and little wear

 

For investors, the Swiss Gold Helvetia provides one of the best options due to its popularity going back to the mid-twentieth century. Demand for the coin continues to be strong even today. For this reason, many dealers find acquiring Pre-1934 Swiss Gold coins in Brilliant Uncirculated condition very difficult. This demand creates additional premiums for the coin in excess to its value in gold content. At Mint State Gold by Stuppler we’ve recommended the purchase of Swiss Gold Helvetias for many of our Bullion Plus investors. The Swiss Gold coin provides an excellent opportunity for diversifying portfolios of both gold and collectibles.

 

To learn more about the Swiss Gold Helvetia general specifications and to see how it could fit into your investment portfolio, please contact us here and speak with an experienced Mint State Gold representative who’ll be happy to assist you any way they can.

 

Coin Specifications

 

Metal(s) Produced	Gold
Purity	90% Pure
Year(s) Minted	1897-1935, 1947 & 1949
Where Minted	Bern Mint
Composition	0.1867 Gold
Total Weight	0.207 troy oz
Denomination	20 Francs
Thickness	1.4 mm
Diameter	21 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business

 

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If coins are history in your hands, then the adage has never been truer than with the French Gold Napoleon. First issued in 1803, a year before Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor, the coins would feature an effigy of Bonaparte in both a bare-headed and laurel wreath-crowned version.

 

Having the distinction as being the first President and last monarch of France, Napoleon would reign from 1803 to 1814. Other versions of a Napoleon gold coin would continue to be struck until the beginning of World War I.

 

For the collector and investor, the Napoleon 20-franc size has proven to be in far less demand than other French Gold coins. Also, while larger coin sizes have been sought after by investors, demand for smaller 5 and 10-franc sizes have notably declined over the years. Due to these fluctuations in the market for the other denominations, an opportunity arose for the creation of other French 20-franc coins. The Napoleon 20-franc was followed by the more popular French Gold Rooster and French Gold Angel. The dynamic market for these coins allows for excellent deals for the investor looking for a Bullion Plus coin to add to a diversified gold bullion portfolio.

 

Other notable features of the French Gold Napoleon:

• Napoleon coins were originally minted in 20-franc and 40-franc denominations; the 20-franc coins were similar in diameter to the U.S. nickel while the 40 was about 5 mm larger (the 40-franc gold piece was never popular in circulation)
• Both the 20-franc and 40-franc coins are 90% pure gold
• Coins were made in various sizes and denominations including 5, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 100-francs; the 20-franc size is the most traded today with the most generally aggressive buyback values
• Napoleons were made in wide variety of different designs including coinages depicting the two Napoleons – Napoleon I (Bonaparte) and Napoleon III (Bonaparte’s nephew) – some coins bear the signature or identifying symbol of the master engraver of the dies; some coins were minted for a time in annexed or occupied countries – Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands – and a London mintage at the decree of King Louis XVIII in 1815; the Napoleon III coins would be minted in three versions
• The reverse of the coin would contain the letters RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE (French Republic) until 1809, after it was EMPIRE FRANÇAIS (French Empire)
• Napoleons would become “The Euro before there was a Euro” across Europe as France attempted to create a Franc-based gold standard known as the Latin Monetary Union

 

To learn more about the French Gold Napoleon and see how it and other French Gold coins could fit into your investment portfolio, please contact us here and speak with an experienced Mint State Gold representative who’ll be happy to assist you any way they can.

 

French Gold Napoleon Coin Specifications

 

Metal(s) Produced	Gold
Purity	90% Pure
Year(s) Minted	1807-1870
Where Minted	Various French Mints
Composition	0.1867 Gold
Total Weight	0.207 troy oz
Denomination	20 Francs
Thickness	1.4 mm
Diameter	21 mm
Strike Type(s)	Business

 

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