20 Francs Angel Gold Coin, 6.45 g

864.00 BGN

With a pure gold content of 5.81 g, a gross weight of 6.46 g and a purity grade of 900/1000, the 20 francs Angel coin is also known as a 20 francs Genius coin. Aside from a popular tool for investment, it is also considered a good luck charm. The year of mintage varies from piece to piece.

Specifications

Design

The manufacturer

Delivery

The historical 20 francs Angel coin, also known as a Genius coin, remains a popular choice for investment in physical gold. Many consider it lucky – legend has it that Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte always kept one in his pocket, until he lost it just before the fateful battle at Waterloo, the loss from which put an end to his reign.

With a gross weight of 6.45 g and a purity grade of 900/1000, it has a pure gold content of 5.81 g. The obverse depicts an angel writing the French constitution. To the figure’s left there is a set of fasces – a Roman symbol of power. To the right there is a rooster – the national symbol of France, imbued with the meaning of faith and hope since medieval times, and victory in the context of French culture. The name of the sculptor - Dupré - is written under the pedestal upon which the angel is standing. The reverse bears the face value of 20 French francs and the respective year of issue, which varies from piece to piece. An oak wreath divides it from the inscription listing the classical values of liberty, equality, and fraternity in French - “liberte, egalite, fraternite”.

The manufacturers offer gold and silver investment coins without a certificate.

The delivered products may vary slightly from the picture shown.

Investment gold is exempt from VAT under Art. 160 (1) of the VAT Act.

Metal Gold
Weight 6.45 g
Purity 900/1000
Diameter 21 mm
Legal tender 20 francs
Manufacturer Monnaie de Paris
Country France

The obverse design features a genius – a category of deity from Roman mythology that, much like guardian angels, accompany and protect people, powerful objects, and locations. Here such a personage is depicted in the form of a winged man standing on a pedestal and inscribing the French constitution.

Behind him there is a set of fasces – a Roman symbol of power made up of a bundle of bound rods. Often there is an axe protruding from the middle of the bundle, but, in the obverse motif of the 20 francs Angel coin, this element has been replaced by a hand with an extended thumb along with the two innermost fingers.

On the right side of the composition stands the Galic Rooster – a symbol of France as a nation symbol of France as a nation. It was all the way back during the time of Ancient Rome that the historian Suetonius noted that the Latin noun gallus, meaning rooster, was a homonym of the word Gallus, meaning Gallic. During the Middle Ages, the rooster became a symbol of the land of the Gauls, and later – France. The sound of its crow at dawn marks the beginning of a new day – a behaviour that has turned it into a symbol of hope of the victory of light over darkness.

On the reverse inside a wreath of oak leaves, the face value of the coin is written - “20 FRANCS”. The oak is among the most highly revered species of trees – sacred to a number of cultures and a symbol of wisdom and strength. The circumscription around the wreath spell out the values liberty, equality and brotherhood that make up France’s national motto and have been a part of its constitution since 1958 - “liberte, egalite, fraternite”.

It is said that the artist behind the obverse design - Augustin Dupré - believed that the angel on the coin would bring good luck to its owner. After he lost favour with King Louis XVI, the engraver was sentenced to death by beheading, but he managed to escape his sentence. Dupré himself attributed his survival to the 20 francs Angel coin he carried with him – and likely used to bribe the guard charged with ensuring his execution. And so the coin gained a reputation as a good luck charm and was especially popular among sailors. It is said that Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte himself always kept one on his person – until he lost it on the eve of his rule-ending failure in the battle of Waterloo. The Angel coin remained a popular good luck charm among American, French, and British soldiers during World Wars I and II, and later.

The Paris Mint, or Monnaie de Paris, was founded in 864, which makes it the oldest continuously operating mint in the world and one of the oldest enterprises in the world. By edict by Charles II, coinage became a right exclusive to the Crown. Up until then lords, barons and even ecclesiastical institutions could mint currency. Monnaie de Paris and a number of other mints across the country were founded in response to this decision to centralise coin production.

Over the centuries the number of foundries of this type dwindled. As of 1878, only the Monnaie de Paris remains operational, but in 1973 the bulk of its manufacturing was moved to a new facility in Pessac, and today the original building in the capital largely serves as a museum. Today the institution mints an average of half a million coins per year – for France as well as ones meant for export.

We ship our orders with Econt Express. The cost of delivery is at the customer's expense and includes insurance, cash on the delivery fee, if applicable, and courier service. The total delivery cost is formed based on the chosen method of payment and the method of delivery.

Orders received by 3 p.m. on working days and chosen payment method cash on delivery or credit card are processed and shipped on the same day. Orders received after 3 p.m. or during the weekend, are processed and despatched on the next working day.

Each shipment has the "Check" option. In case the customer decides to return the order, the delivery and return costs are at the expense of the customer.

You can also get your order from the Bulmint showroom in Plovdiv at 24 Otets Paisiy Str. or in Sofia st 1 Oborishte Str.

Read more >>