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French Empire
Napoleon III
Gold Coin20 Franc
法蘭西帝國
拿破崙三世
20法郎金幣
Item number: A1585
Year: AD 1859
Material: Gold (.900)
Size: 21.2 x 21.2 x 1.1 mm
Weight: 6.4 g
Manufactured by: Paris Mint
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2016
This is a 20-franc gold coin minted in AD 1859 by the Paris Mint and issued by the Bank of France.
The obverse features a right-facing portrait of Napoleon III, encircled by the inscription “NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR” in French, translating to “Napoleon III Emperor.” Below the portrait, the name “BARRE” appears alongside an anchor symbol, serving as the signature and mark of Désiré-Albert Barre, the Chief Engraver of the Paris Mint at the time. To the left of “BARRE,” a hand with the thumb and index finger extended signifies the mark of Charles-Louis Dierickx, the Director of the Paris Mint. It was under his tenure that the modernisation, reorganisation, and expansion of the franc were accomplished.
The reverse displays “20 FRANCS 1860” at its centre, indicating the denomination and year of issue. This is encircled by a wreath of olive branches, symbolising peace and prosperity. Around the outer edge, the inscription “EMPIRE FRANCAIS” translates to “French Empire.” Below, the letter “A” denotes the Paris Mint.
The coin’s edge bears the inscription “★ ★ ★ ★ ★ DIEU ★ PROTEGE ★ LA ★ FRANCE,” meaning “God Protects France.”
By AD 1859, the Second French Empire had reached its zenith. Under the rule of the elected emperor Napoleon III, Paris underwent extensive modernisation. Simultaneously, France actively expanded its railway network, industrialised, and promoted international trade. That same year, a trade treaty was signed with Britain, advancing the principles of free trade.
In the mid-19th century, the Napoleonic Wars had facilitated the adoption of the metric system and decimal currency. Coupled with monetary instability caused by international events, several nations began integrating into the franc-based monetary system. The establishment of the Latin Monetary Union in AD 1865 further solidified the franc as a prototype for an international currency, enhancing its influence across Europe and the Mediterranean.
Riding the momentum of victory in the Crimean War, the French Empire intervened in the Second Italian War of Independence in AD 1859, aiding the Kingdom of Sardinia in its victory over Austria and securing Lombardy, thereby paving the way for Italian unification. At the time, this war cemented France’s dominance in European affairs. Concurrently, France continued its expansion into North Africa and launched military campaigns in Cochinchina and Mexico, seeking to re-establish its colonial empire.
Yet, beneath the facade of imperial grandeur lay the seeds of its downfall. Free trade policies undermined protected domestic industries, provoking a surge of conservative opposition. The Latin Monetary Union and French involvement in the Italian conflict alarmed Prussia, exacerbating Franco-Prussian competition and hostilities. In AD 1859, upon returning from his intervention in Italy, Napoleon III granted amnesty to political prisoners, reversing his initial policy of suppressing dissent. He gradually relaxed press censorship to divide the opposition. This combination of repression and concessions ensured a Bonapartist victory in the 1870 elections. However, that same year, after the disastrous defeat at Sedan, Napoleon III was captured by Prussian forces, and with him fell the last French monarch, bringing an abrupt end to the empire.
物件編號: A1585
年代: 公元 1859 年
材質: 黃金 (900‰)
尺寸: 21.2 x 21.2 x 1.1 mm
重量: 6.4 g
製造地: 巴黎鑄幣廠
來源: 福君錢幣 2016
這是一枚公元1859年,由巴黎鑄幣廠鑄造,法蘭西銀行發行的20法郎金幣。
金幣的正面是拿破崙三世的肖像,面朝右。周圍環繞著法文「NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR」,即「拿破崙三世皇帝」。下方「BARRE」與其右方的船錨符號,為時任巴黎鑄幣廠首席雕刻師德西雷-阿爾貝·巴雷(Désiré-Albert Barre)的署名與標記。「BARRE」左方伸出拇指與食指的手,則是巴黎鑄幣局局長夏爾-路易·迪里克斯(Charles-Louis Dierickx)的標記,法郎的現代化,重組與擴張正是在他任內完成。
Plessis, Alain. The Rise and Fall of the Second Empire, 1852–1871. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Thomazi, A. La conquête de l’Indochine. Paris: Payot, 1934.
Einaudi, Luca. Money and Politics: European Monetary Unification and the International Gold Standard (1865-1873). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Decroix, Philippe. La saga d’une grande banque du Nord de la France, 1846-1934 Tome 1 – Verley, Decroix et Cie, 1846-1919. Paris: Éditions Christian, 1999