Overview
The Napoleon is the colloquial term for a former French gold coin. The coins were originally minted in two denominations, 20 and 40 francs 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.
Read more about this topic: Napoleon (coin)