Napoleon (coin)
Encyclopedia
The Napoleon is the colloquial term for a former French gold coin
. The coins were minted (at various times) in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 and 100franc
s. This article will focus on the 20 franc coins issued during the reign of Napoleon, which are 21 mm in diameter, weigh 6.45 grams (gross weight) and, at 90% pure, contain 0.1867 troy ounces or 5.801 grams of pure gold. The coin was issued during the reign of Napoleon I and features his portrait on the obverse. The denomination (known as the Franc Germinal French franc#French Empire and Restoration) continued in use through the 19th century and later French gold coins in the same denomination were generally referred to as "Napoleons". Earlier French gold coins are referred to as Louis (the name of eighteen French Kings or écu) an old French word for shield.
.
. The coins were originally minted in two denominations, 20 and 40 franc
s for Napoleon Bonaparte. The 20 franc coins are 21 mm in diameter (about the size of a U.S. five cent piece), weigh 6.45 grams (gross weight) and; at 90% pure, contain .1845 ounces or 5.801 grams of pure gold. The 40 franc coins are 26 mm in diameter, weigh 12.90 grams (gross weight) and; are 90% pure gold. The coins were issued during the reign of Napoleon I
and feature his portrait, sometimes bare headed and other times wearing a laurel wreath (the ancient Roman symbol
of supreme authority) and, depending upon the political status of France, the words on the front: either Bonaparte – Premier Consul (First Consul) or Napoléon Empereur (emperor). On the back: the legends read either "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (the French Republic) or after 1809, "EMPIRE FRANÇAIS" (the French Empire
). There was even a 20 Lire Napoleon minted under the auspices of the Kingdom of Italy
, a country annexed by Napoleon I of France
in 1805 as a result of the defeat of Austria (the former holder of the territories) at the Battle of Austerlitz.
being a symbol borrowed from Roman history, so too was Napoleon's understanding of an Emperor. Caesar
was the Emperor of the Roman Republic and emperor was understood in ancient times as the "chief administrator". Napoleon wished to not to be called “Grand Elector,” which savored of Prussia, but “First Consul,” which carried the aroma of ancient Rome. So Napoleon remained deaf to the appeals for Communal self-rule. Going back to the Roman Consular system, or to the intendant of the late Bourbons, he preferred to appoint – or to have the Interior Ministry appoint – to each département (county) a ruling prefect, to each arrondissement (ward) a sub-prefect, and to each commune (parish) a mayor; each appointee to be responsible to his superior, and ultimately to the central government. The civil service – the total administrative body – in Napoleonic France was the least democratic and most efficient known in history, with the possible exception of ancient Rome. When viewed in this context, there is no incongruity with Napoléon Empereur and "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE."
. The coins minted at London were purportedly authorized by Louis 18, himself and were used to pay British troops occupying parts of North Western France. Some coins found their way to Paris and were considered counterfeits by the monetary authorities there and then. There was a exchange of diplomatic letters between France and England and the activity was stopped. The English artist who engraved the London dies, Thomas Wyon, Jr. (1792–1817), a highly accomplished artist, was insulted when his dies which were low relief based on the French struck coins and the original engravings of London born French engraver Pierre Joseph Tiolier(1763–1819) were considered inferior. Allegations also arose that the London Mint did not respect French law regarding fineness and tolerance with these coins and these facts have been offered for the early withdrawal of the coins from circulation. However, contemporaneous assays demonstrated adherence to the French law by the London minters. No coins were struck after 30 November 1815. See, Bordeaux, P., «La pièce de 20 francs de Louis XVIII frappée à Londres en 1815», Revue belge de Numismatique, Brussels, 1904; See also, Dyer, G.P., « L'Atelier Royal de Londres et la Frappe de Louis d'Or en 1815 », Revue numismatique (française) 6e serie, XVIII (1976), pp. 136–141.
, Napoleon tried to unify Europe and almost succeeded, especially in terms of the coinage. The Napoleon coin was first authorized by a Monetary Ordinance of 28 March 1803 by the Premier Consul (First Consul) Napoleon Bonaparte. The 20 franc gold pieces which he authorized in 1803, became the model of all the coins of the Latin Monetary Union
which circulated in Europe until 1914. The French coin carries the effigy, in profile, Napoleon, who would later become the French Emperor. The coins had the same value as the Louis, which bears the likeness of the pre-French Revolution King Louis XIV. For Napoleon, there were ostensibly seven types or varieties of the coins minted. In general the varieties differed in terms of obverse legend, reverse legends, portraiture, and calendaring system. For each variety, there was a new enabling statute or executive decree: 28 March 1803; 7 April 1803; 26 June 1804; 8 September 1805; 11 February 1807; 5 August 1807; and 22 October 1808. By extension, the term ‘‘Napoleon’’ is applied today to all the various types of 20 franc French gold pieces.
, the "Euro before the Euro", so-to-speak. Switzerland had 20 Swiss franc
pieces, Spain had 20 peseta
coins, Italy had 20 lira
pieces, Belgium had 20 Belgian franc
coins, and Greece had 20 drachma coins, all of which circulated and were accepted throughout Europe. Only for political reasons did the United Kingdom and the German Empire
refuse to follow this direction. Attempts were even taken to explore the unification of the European currency with the American dollar, which explains the extremely rare U.S. pattern coins
carrying $4 marking on the face and 25 franc markings on the reverse.
Tiolier, Pierre Joseph [Tee oh \ yeah] (1763–1819), born in London, was appointed the engraver-general of the Paris Mint from 1803–16. Tiolier engraved the patterns for the Bonaparte-First Consul coins. Tiolier was trained by his brother-in-law, the notable, Benjamin Duvivier. Many improvements of the coining machinery took place during Tiolier's tenure at the mint. His many medals and coins attest to his high skill. Tiolier’s full signature appears on the dies he cut while coins bearing a "Tr" were from dies cut by others.
Wyon, Jr., Thomas (1792–1817)was an English medallist who died at the early age of 25. In both 1810 and again in 1811, he won the Society of Arts gold medal for medal engraving. In four short years from 1811–15 he rose at the Royal Mint from a probationer to chief engraver.
{| style="border="1" style="margin:0.7em 0.7em 0.7em 0.7em;border:1px solid #AAAAAA;font-size:90%;"
{| class=wikitable
!
! Date !! Mintage!! Obverse legend!! Reverse legend!! Edge!! Engraver!! Notes
|-
! Bonaparte
1er consul
| An XI
to An XII || align="right" | 1,046,506 (XI= 58,262)|| || || (God Protect France) || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||First year of issue||
|-
! Napoléon
| An XII || align="right" | 428,143 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Intermediate bust||
|-
! Napoléon
| An XIII and an XIV || align="right" | 673,878 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Bare head; Revolutionary calendar||
|-
! Napoléon
| 1806 || align="right" | 996,367 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||Bare head; Gregorian calendar
||
|-
! Napoléon
| 1807 || align="right" | 594,332 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||Bare head; transition type
|-
! Napoléon
| 1807 to 1808 || align="right" | 1,725,753 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Laurel crowned head; République Française
|-
! Napoléon
| 1809 to 1815 || align="right" | 14,283,710 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Laurel crowned head; Empire Français – note coins were struck in 1815 for both Napoleon and Louis 18
|-
! Louis ⅩⅧ
| 1814 to 1815 || align="right" | 5,634,709 || (King of France) || || (God Save the King)|| Auguste François Michaut || Uniformed bust – Some pieces were struck in London and are marked with an "R"
|-
! Louis ⅩⅧ
| 1824 to 1826 || align="right" | 12,733,226 || (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut ||Bare bust
|-
! Charles Ⅹ
type 1
| 1825 to 1826 || align="right" | 771,932 || (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut || Signature fine
|-
! Charles Ⅹ
type 2
| 1827 to 1830 || align="right" | 919,535 || Charles X Roi de France (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut || Signature bold
|-
! Louis-Philippe
type 1
| 1830 to 1831 || align="right" | 2,371,848 || Louis Philippe I Roi des Français (King of the French)|| || || Nicolas Pierre Tiolier || Edge incused; this king held pro-Revolutionary ideals and therefore changed his royal title
|-
! Louis-Philippe
type 2
| 1830 to 1831 || align="right" | included above || || || || Nicolas Pierre Tiolier || Edge raised/in relief
|-
! Louis-Philippe
| 1832 to 1848 || align="right" | 6,761,231 || || || || Joseph François Domard ||
|-
! Génie
2nd république
| 1848 to 1849 || align="right" | 2,843,007 || || || || Mint master’s mark||
|-
! Cérès
2nd république
| 1849 to 1851 || align="right" | 17,293,983 || || || || Louis Merley ||
|-
! Louis Napoléon Bonaparte
| 1852 || align="right" | 9,857,428 || || || || Jean Jacques Barre ||
|-
! Napoléon Ⅲ
| 1853 to 1860 || align="right" | 146,557,145 || || || || Jean Jacques Barre || Bare head
|-
! Napoléon Ⅲ
| 1861 to 1870 || align="right" | 85,344,950|| || || || Jean Jacques Barre || Laural crowned head
|-
! Génie
3 rd république
| 1871 to 1898 || align="right" | 86,101,594 || || || (God Protect France) || Mint mark ||
|-
! Cérès/Coq
(Harvest goddess/Rooster)
| 1898 to 1914 || align="right" | 117,448,888 || || || see notes || Jules Clément Chaplain || Edge 1 (before 1905): *++* DIEU *+ PROTEGE+* LA FRANCE
Edge 2 (after 1905): *++* LIBERTE +* EGALITE +* FRATERNITE
|}
Gold coin
A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold's intrinsic value...
. The coins were minted (at various times) in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 and 100franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s. This article will focus on the 20 franc coins issued during the reign of Napoleon, which are 21 mm in diameter, weigh 6.45 grams (gross weight) and, at 90% pure, contain 0.1867 troy ounces or 5.801 grams of pure gold. The coin was issued during the reign of Napoleon I and features his portrait on the obverse. The denomination (known as the Franc Germinal French franc#French Empire and Restoration) continued in use through the 19th century and later French gold coins in the same denomination were generally referred to as "Napoleons". Earlier French gold coins are referred to as Louis (the name of eighteen French Kings or écu) an old French word for shield.
.
Overview
The Napoleon is the colloquial term for a former French gold coinCoin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
. The coins were originally minted in two denominations, 20 and 40 franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s for Napoleon Bonaparte. The 20 franc coins are 21 mm in diameter (about the size of a U.S. five cent piece), weigh 6.45 grams (gross weight) and; at 90% pure, contain .1845 ounces or 5.801 grams of pure gold. The 40 franc coins are 26 mm in diameter, weigh 12.90 grams (gross weight) and; are 90% pure gold. The coins were issued during the reign of Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and feature his portrait, sometimes bare headed and other times wearing a laurel wreath (the ancient Roman symbol
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
of supreme authority) and, depending upon the political status of France, the words on the front: either Bonaparte – Premier Consul (First Consul) or Napoléon Empereur (emperor). On the back: the legends read either "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (the French Republic) or after 1809, "EMPIRE FRANÇAIS" (the French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
). There was even a 20 Lire Napoleon minted under the auspices of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
, a country annexed by Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
in 1805 as a result of the defeat of Austria (the former holder of the territories) at the Battle of Austerlitz.
A curious incongruity?
It is sometimes questioned how a nation as sophisticated as France, controlled by a great leader such as Napoleon could have overlooked the differences between a republic and empire and in so doing indicate on their coinage that their republic was ruled by an emperor. It further appears that this oversight was corrected with the coinage of 1809. However, this is incorrect. As was hinted to about the laurel wreathLaurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
being a symbol borrowed from Roman history, so too was Napoleon's understanding of an Emperor. Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
was the Emperor of the Roman Republic and emperor was understood in ancient times as the "chief administrator". Napoleon wished to not to be called “Grand Elector,” which savored of Prussia, but “First Consul,” which carried the aroma of ancient Rome. So Napoleon remained deaf to the appeals for Communal self-rule. Going back to the Roman Consular system, or to the intendant of the late Bourbons, he preferred to appoint – or to have the Interior Ministry appoint – to each département (county) a ruling prefect, to each arrondissement (ward) a sub-prefect, and to each commune (parish) a mayor; each appointee to be responsible to his superior, and ultimately to the central government. The civil service – the total administrative body – in Napoleonic France was the least democratic and most efficient known in history, with the possible exception of ancient Rome. When viewed in this context, there is no incongruity with Napoléon Empereur and "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE."
Dates of usage of the "Napoléon" coins
The coin continued in use through the 19th century and later French gold coins in the same denomination were generally referred to a "Napoleons". In particular the coins of Napoleon I, were minted not only at the several French mints but also at the mints in the Italian territories: Genoa, Turino (1803 to 1813), Rome (1812 to 1813) and; the Netherlands: Utrecht (1812 to 1813), and; in the Swiss territories: Geneva. During the French occupation of these places, although the mints came under French administration and minted French Empire coins, it was otherwise business as usual as the incumbent mint masters remained in their posts, for example: Sarwaas in Utrecht, Paroletti in Turin and Mazzio in Rome.French coins minted in London?
Some coins of King Louis 18 were minted in London in 1815. The English were supportive of the return of the French king to power after he was deposed by Napoleon in 1815, during the famous Hundred DaysHundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
. The coins minted at London were purportedly authorized by Louis 18, himself and were used to pay British troops occupying parts of North Western France. Some coins found their way to Paris and were considered counterfeits by the monetary authorities there and then. There was a exchange of diplomatic letters between France and England and the activity was stopped. The English artist who engraved the London dies, Thomas Wyon, Jr. (1792–1817), a highly accomplished artist, was insulted when his dies which were low relief based on the French struck coins and the original engravings of London born French engraver Pierre Joseph Tiolier(1763–1819) were considered inferior. Allegations also arose that the London Mint did not respect French law regarding fineness and tolerance with these coins and these facts have been offered for the early withdrawal of the coins from circulation. However, contemporaneous assays demonstrated adherence to the French law by the London minters. No coins were struck after 30 November 1815. See, Bordeaux, P., «La pièce de 20 francs de Louis XVIII frappée à Londres en 1815», Revue belge de Numismatique, Brussels, 1904; See also, Dyer, G.P., « L'Atelier Royal de Londres et la Frappe de Louis d'Or en 1815 », Revue numismatique (française) 6e serie, XVIII (1976), pp. 136–141.
| Letter | City | Letter | City | Letter | City | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Paris | AA | Metz | B | Rouen | |
| BB | Strasbourg | CL | Genoa | D | Lyon | |
| G | Geneva | H | La Rochelle | I | Limoges | |
| K | Bordeaux | L | Bayonne | M | Toulouse | |
| M/A | Marseille | Q | Perpignan | R | Orléans | |
| T | Nantes | W | Lille | maast | Utrecht | |
| U | Turin | Crown/R | Rome | R | London |
First authorized by the Monetary Ordinance of 28 March 1803
Napoleon left an impression on his era with his qualities as a General and a statesman. A worthy successor to Julius Caesar and CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, Napoleon tried to unify Europe and almost succeeded, especially in terms of the coinage. The Napoleon coin was first authorized by a Monetary Ordinance of 28 March 1803 by the Premier Consul (First Consul) Napoleon Bonaparte. The 20 franc gold pieces which he authorized in 1803, became the model of all the coins of the Latin Monetary Union
Latin Monetary Union
The Latin Monetary Union was a 19th century attempt to unify several European currencies, at a time when most circulating coins were still made of gold and silver...
which circulated in Europe until 1914. The French coin carries the effigy, in profile, Napoleon, who would later become the French Emperor. The coins had the same value as the Louis, which bears the likeness of the pre-French Revolution King Louis XIV. For Napoleon, there were ostensibly seven types or varieties of the coins minted. In general the varieties differed in terms of obverse legend, reverse legends, portraiture, and calendaring system. For each variety, there was a new enabling statute or executive decree: 28 March 1803; 7 April 1803; 26 June 1804; 8 September 1805; 11 February 1807; 5 August 1807; and 22 October 1808. By extension, the term ‘‘Napoleon’’ is applied today to all the various types of 20 franc French gold pieces.
"The Euro before the Euro"
Although the portraits and legends changed with the political changes in France, the denomination remained in usage until the First World War under what was known as the Latin Monetary UnionLatin Monetary Union
The Latin Monetary Union was a 19th century attempt to unify several European currencies, at a time when most circulating coins were still made of gold and silver...
, the "Euro before the Euro", so-to-speak. Switzerland had 20 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
pieces, Spain had 20 peseta
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
coins, Italy had 20 lira
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
pieces, Belgium had 20 Belgian franc
Belgian franc
The franc was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the euro was introduced into circulation. It was subdivided into centimes , 100 centiem or Centime .-History:...
coins, and Greece had 20 drachma coins, all of which circulated and were accepted throughout Europe. Only for political reasons did the United Kingdom and the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
refuse to follow this direction. Attempts were even taken to explore the unification of the European currency with the American dollar, which explains the extremely rare U.S. pattern coins
Stella (United States coin)
The United States four dollar coin, also officially called a Stella, is a unit of currency equivalent to four United States dollars.-History:...
carrying $4 marking on the face and 25 franc markings on the reverse.
Distinguishing marks of the mint masters
The coins bear the signature of the master engraver responsible for the engraving of the coins' dies. In later times the engraver used a symbol to identify himself. The coins also bear the mark (a symbol, letter, or monogram) denoting the particular French (or French controlled) mint which struck the coin. These mint marks often signal the rarity of the issue, for example the Napoleon 20 franc gold coin struck in 1809 at Paris and marked with the letter "A" had an issue of 687,508 coins; in the same year at the mint at Bordeaux, marked with the letter "K" only 2,534 coins were struck; while the mint at Lille, marked with a "W" struck 16,911 coins. Over the years there were some twenty-three French mints not only in France but also in annexed or occupied countries, including Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.The engravers
Droz, Jean-Pierre (1746–1823), was perhaps the most skillful and certainly the most famous engraver and medallist of his day. Born in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Droz studied in Paris and won acclaim with his fine pattern piece known as the Écu de Calonne after the French finance minister. This coin was struck with an edge inscription using a six-segmented collar (virole brisée) of Droz’ own invention at the Paris Mint. After a brief tenure at Matthew Boulton’s Birmingham (Soho) Mint, Droz returned to France and in 1799 was appointed Keeper of the Coins and Medals at the Paris Mint, which post he held throughout the Napoleonic era. Meanwhile he was much in demand by other governments as a consultant. He struck patterns for Spain, the United States and his native Neuchâtel among others. In French coinage, the effigy of Napoleon as engraved by him appears both on the 20 and 40 franc gold pieces from 1804 through 1814. Droz was also responsible for the pattern of the 5 francs of the “Hundred Days” in 1815. Among his medallic work, the coronation medals for Napoleon in 1804 (“Medal Celebrating the Coronation of Napoleon I by Pope Pius VII at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris”) and several medals and jetons for the Bank of France are the most noteworthy.Tiolier, Pierre Joseph [Tee oh \ yeah] (1763–1819), born in London, was appointed the engraver-general of the Paris Mint from 1803–16. Tiolier engraved the patterns for the Bonaparte-First Consul coins. Tiolier was trained by his brother-in-law, the notable, Benjamin Duvivier. Many improvements of the coining machinery took place during Tiolier's tenure at the mint. His many medals and coins attest to his high skill. Tiolier’s full signature appears on the dies he cut while coins bearing a "Tr" were from dies cut by others.
Wyon, Jr., Thomas (1792–1817)was an English medallist who died at the early age of 25. In both 1810 and again in 1811, he won the Society of Arts gold medal for medal engraving. In four short years from 1811–15 he rose at the Royal Mint from a probationer to chief engraver.
“Coins, a reflection of the political events of 1814–1815”
In 1814 when Louis XVIII ascended to the throne of France, France changed its flag. Its coins, however, were merely modified to carry the kings portrait. There was a possibility that in modifying the coinage, Louis XVIII could have broken the reforms of the Revolution and returned to the duodecimal system and the livres of the Old Regime. But the new coins were struck with the same weight and fineness envisaged by Napoleon in the law of the 7 germinal year XI, with one effigy (Louis XVIII) replacing another (Napoleon I).List of 20 franc French coin issues
All issues are 90% fine gold, have a nominal net weight of 6.45 grams and, have a diameter of 21 mm.{| style="border="1" style="margin:0.7em 0.7em 0.7em 0.7em;border:1px solid #AAAAAA;font-size:90%;"
{| class=wikitable
!
! Date !! Mintage!! Obverse legend!! Reverse legend!! Edge!! Engraver!! Notes
|-
! Bonaparte
1er consul
| An XI
French Republican Calendar
The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...
to An XII || align="right" | 1,046,506 (XI= 58,262)|| || || (God Protect France) || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||First year of issue||
|-
! Napoléon
| An XII || align="right" | 428,143 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Intermediate bust||
|-
! Napoléon
| An XIII and an XIV || align="right" | 673,878 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Bare head; Revolutionary calendar||
|-
! Napoléon
| 1806 || align="right" | 996,367 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||Bare head; Gregorian calendar
||
|-
! Napoléon
| 1807 || align="right" | 594,332 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier ||Bare head; transition type
|-
! Napoléon
| 1807 to 1808 || align="right" | 1,725,753 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Laurel crowned head; République Française
|-
! Napoléon
| 1809 to 1815 || align="right" | 14,283,710 || || || || Pierre Joseph Tiolier || Laurel crowned head; Empire Français – note coins were struck in 1815 for both Napoleon and Louis 18
|-
! Louis ⅩⅧ
| 1814 to 1815 || align="right" | 5,634,709 || (King of France) || || (God Save the King)|| Auguste François Michaut || Uniformed bust – Some pieces were struck in London and are marked with an "R"
|-
! Louis ⅩⅧ
| 1824 to 1826 || align="right" | 12,733,226 || (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut ||Bare bust
|-
! Charles Ⅹ
type 1
| 1825 to 1826 || align="right" | 771,932 || (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut || Signature fine
|-
! Charles Ⅹ
type 2
| 1827 to 1830 || align="right" | 919,535 || Charles X Roi de France (King of France) || || || Auguste François Michaut || Signature bold
|-
! Louis-Philippe
type 1
| 1830 to 1831 || align="right" | 2,371,848 || Louis Philippe I Roi des Français (King of the French)|| || || Nicolas Pierre Tiolier || Edge incused; this king held pro-Revolutionary ideals and therefore changed his royal title
|-
! Louis-Philippe
type 2
| 1830 to 1831 || align="right" | included above || || || || Nicolas Pierre Tiolier || Edge raised/in relief
|-
! Louis-Philippe
| 1832 to 1848 || align="right" | 6,761,231 || || || || Joseph François Domard ||
|-
! Génie
2nd république
| 1848 to 1849 || align="right" | 2,843,007 || || || || Mint master’s mark||
|-
! Cérès
2nd république
| 1849 to 1851 || align="right" | 17,293,983 || || || || Louis Merley ||
|-
! Louis Napoléon Bonaparte
| 1852 || align="right" | 9,857,428 || || || || Jean Jacques Barre ||
|-
! Napoléon Ⅲ
| 1853 to 1860 || align="right" | 146,557,145 || || || || Jean Jacques Barre || Bare head
|-
! Napoléon Ⅲ
| 1861 to 1870 || align="right" | 85,344,950|| || || || Jean Jacques Barre || Laural crowned head
|-
! Génie
3 rd république
| 1871 to 1898 || align="right" | 86,101,594 || || || (God Protect France) || Mint mark ||
|-
! Cérès/Coq
(Harvest goddess/Rooster)
| 1898 to 1914 || align="right" | 117,448,888 || || || see notes || Jules Clément Chaplain || Edge 1 (before 1905): *++* DIEU *+ PROTEGE+* LA FRANCE
Edge 2 (after 1905): *++* LIBERTE +* EGALITE +* FRATERNITE
|}