The Napoleon 20 francs is a replica of the famous French gold coin first introduced in 1803, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s monetary reform as First Consul of France.
The coin became the basis of the Latin Monetary Union (1865–1927), which unified European currencies and facilitated trade. For decades, the French franc, Italian lira, Swiss franc, and Belgian franc were interchangeable at par. In many ways, Napoleon’s franc was the forerunner of today’s euro.
The obverse depicted Napoleon’s portrait – first as First Consul, later as Emperor. The reverse carried the value 20 FRANCS within a wreath, with the inscriptions République Française or Empire Français.
💡 Anecdotes:
- Coins bearing his image were also used as propaganda – Napoleon called them his “little portable statues”, spreading his likeness and authority across Europe.
Our replica measures 25 mm, made of zinc alloy, and is available in gold and silver finishes. Perfect for board games, RPGs, LARP, reenactment, film and theatre props.