From 1807 Napoleon’s gold 20-franc coins showed him wearing a laurel wreath like a Roman emperor. The coin was so widely used that a French 20-franc gold piece is still called a ‘Napoleon’. The lion reverse here was added by the jewellery maker.
Castings, Coins, KM
KM-187 Napoleon Emperor Gold 20 Francs Style Connector
$7.75
Gold overlay two-loop connector. Obverse: laureate head of Napoleon facing right, NAPOLEON EMPEREUR. Reverse: a rampant lion in a scalloped border, which is a decorative design and not the reverse of the real coin (EMPIRE FRANCAIS, 20 FRANCS in a wreath). Inscriptions explained: NAPOLEON EMPEREUR is French for ‘Napoleon, Emperor’.
