France · 1908
France 20 Francs, 1908
The Marianne and Rooster gold piece of the Belle Époque, a coin of the Latin Monetary Union.
- Country / Issuer
- France
- Date
- 1908
- Category
- Modern coinage
- Inventory reference
- AC-CO-004
About this object
Between 1899 and 1914 the French 20 francs was a workhorse of international gold: trusted, uniform and widely held by central banks. The obverse carries Marianne, the Republic personified; the reverse a proud rooster, the Gallic emblem.
This example retains nearly all of its original lustre, with only light contact marks in the fields. Both faces are shown in the gallery so that the engraver's work can be studied at full resolution.
Historical context
The Latin Monetary Union aligned France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland around a common gold standard, and the 20 francs became one of the most circulated coins in Europe. The design by Jules-Clément Chaplain is a concise statement of republican identity: the Republic on one side, the nation on the other.
Held in a private collection. Available for scholarly consultation by appointment.
Specifications
France 20 Francs, 1908
- Country / Issuer
- France
- Date
- 1908
- Category
- Modern coinage
- Rarity
- Rare
- Condition / Grade
- About uncirculated
- Inventory reference
- AC-CO-004
- Denomination
- 20 Francs
- Mint
- Paris
- Mint mark
- Cornucopia
- Composition
- Gold 900‰ (21.6 kt)
- Weight
- 6.452 g
- Diameter
- 21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.3 mm
- Edge
- Lettered: LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ
- Orientation
- ↑
- Obverse
- Bust of Marianne facing right, wearing a Phrygian cap and oak wreath.
- Reverse
- Rooster standing left, denomination and date.
- Catalog references
- KM 857; Gadoury 1064
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