Collecting French 20-franc gold coins
cinque1543
Posts: 159 ✭✭✭
I'm thinking about building a type set of sorts, made up of French 20-franc gold coins. The set would consist of at most 9 coins, one from each of the periods listed below. Some of the periods are pretty short though, so coins from those periods might be too expensive.
Has anyone worked on a set similar to this? Any advice?
1st Republic
1st Empirie (Napoleon I)
1st Restoration
Hundred Days
2nd Restoration
July Monarchy
2nd Republic
2nd Empire
3rd Republic
2
Comments
I have a few of these coins.
Note that some of these coins for sale are restrikes.
France 20 Francs 1810 Napoleon I
Gold, 21.0 mm, 6.39 gm
Mint W-Lille, Privy Mark Caduceus, Edge: DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE
France 20 Francs 1912 Rooster
Gold, 21.0 mm, 6.45 gm - Restrike
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Nice. From my initial research, some of the coins seem readily available and affordable, even in BU condition. I've even seen them listed for as little as 2% above the spot price of gold. I do, however, want to avoid restrikes.
I'm not sure which years of the roosters were restruck, but the pop reports make it pretty obvious that you're safe with anything up to 1906. Take a look and you'll see what I mean.
https://www.ngccoin.com/census/world/france-1870-to-date/sc-120/g20f/
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Sounds like a doable project worthy of undertaking…off the top of my head, my initial concern would finding one from the 100 days. I suspect that could be a challenge especially if you are seeking an MS example.
Good luck with the project.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Yes, the Hundred Days will be a challenge. Maybe I'm missing something, but my initial research also suggests that not many gold coins of any type (franc, livre, Louis) were issued during the First Republic.
Nice idea for a set, slowly building one myself
2Since I'm not chasing them in high grade, I can afford them from time to time. Here are the ten that are already in my trays (the last one is a restrike though)
Thanks for looking
One of the few I have had graded
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Very nice. I'm envious!
A beautiful MS-62 piece loaded with history. First Restoration?
Thanks… And Yes… This is the first restoration. I need to look for others that follow. Sadly, like English gold, I just haven’t had much luck with French Gold either.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
It was not unusual 30 years ago to be able to go into French banks and buy "Napoleons" at a small percentage over spot value.
I have only one 20 franc but I'd like pick up a Napolean soon
I love everything about the Rooster's design
Even the font of the legends looks artistic
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Yes, it's a beautiful coin. I don't have any TPG-slabbed French coins, but this is a case where you really want to see the edge of the coin too, for the "liberté, egalité, fraternité" lettering. So if you ever send one to a TPG firm, I think you'd want a slab that shows the edges.
I'm still learning about French Roosters, but my current understanding is as follows: Roosters were minted from 1899 to 1914, but some if not all of those minted from 1907 to 1914 are restrikes. Despite the date imprinted on the coin, the restrikes were struck many years later, around the 1950s. This doesn't matter much to stackers, but collectors might prefer pre-1907 dates.
I also think that "Roosters" is what we Americans call them. I'd like to know what French people call these coins.
One more post this morning. I assume that in France, there a lots of coin dealers selling a wide selection of 20-franc gold coins. But has anyone found some good dealers here in the USA? Or do I need to plan a trip to France?
I have an AN 13 I picked up years ago. Also a republic I think 1805. I would have to look into the SDB to be sure.
Nice. The French revolutionary calendar started in September 1792, so Year 13 would have started in September 1804. 1804 was the last year of the First Republic (with Napoleon serving as First Consul for 5 months of that year) and the first year of the First Empire (with Napoleon serving as Emperor for 7 months).
So I have an 1804 & an 1805. I read about the French Revolution, but it was such a messy affair that it was hard to keep up with, and easy to lose interest in.
The 20-Franc coins are “Marianne-Coq” to the French. I collect them, but I’m lacking the 1900 & 1902 dated pieces. Also need the 1898 pattern. Three of mine are slabbed, the rest are raw. Here’s one in MS64…
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
I found this price guide. What appears to be the one-and-only Hundred Days coin is indeed pricey.
Some nice looking examples have been added to the thread.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Posting in this thread a few weeks ago pushed me to look for more. Here's the last one that arrived home. One more to come in the next days ; stay tuned
Nice coin!
You might know France produced three versions of this coin. The first was in 1793, when France launched its First Republic. The second was minted in 1848-1849 in recognition of the Second Republic. The third was minted from 1871-1898 in recognition of the Third Republic.
For some reason, on the 3rd version of the coin, Genius (the person holding the pen) is not writing anything on the new constitutional document.
Thanks,
I will have hard time snagging the first one I guess, they are very pricey
In AU condition, I think it's around $6,000 to $15,000, depending on mint mark. So yes, beyond the price of many, including me..
It was minted at five different French mints.
Deleted.