French Gold Napoleon

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

Store: French Gold Coin

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