Item number: A268

Year: AD 1863

Material: Gold

Size: 18.9 x 18.9 mm

Manufactured by: Strasbourg Mint

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This coin, issued during the reign of Napoleon III in the year AD 1863 by the Second French Empire, carries a denomination of 20 French francs.

On the obverse of the coin is a profile portrait of Emperor Napoleon III, crowned with a laurel wreath, encircled by the inscription “Napoleon III Empereur” in French, with the engraver’s name, “Barre,” inscribed below the portrait. Above the name, a trefoil cross symbol denotes the private mark of Henri Delbecque, who was the director of the Strasbourg Mint from AD 1861 to AD 1870.

The reverse features the coat of arms of the Second French Empire: a shield adorned with an eagle design, set within Napoleon’s royal mantle, topped with a crown, and surrounded by the necklace of the Legion of Honour. Crossed sceptres, symbolising justice and mercy, are positioned behind the shield. The upper half of the coin bears the French inscription “EMPIRE FRANÇAIS,” while the lower half displays the coin’s denomination, “20FR.” Directly below the royal emblem, the year of issue, “1863,” is engraved, with the lettering to the left “BB” indicating the mint of production. “A” signifies the Paris Mint, and “BB” denotes Strasbourg Mint. An anchor symbol to the right of the year is the personal mark of Albert Désiré Barre, the general engraver of Paris Mint.

The Strasbourg Mint has been in existence since the year AD 962. Following the unification of France, the mint operated as a subsidiary of the Paris Mint. From the year AD 1797, the Strasbourg Mint consistently used the letter “BB” as its mark until its closure in AD 1870.

This currency belongs to the period of the Second French Empire (AD 1852-AD 1870), under the rule of Napoleon III. During Napoleon III’s reign, a significant number of coins were minted and issued, with over 400 million coins released over his 18-year tenure.

Napoleon III, born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (AD 1808-AD 1873), rose to prominence following the February Revolution in France in AD 1848, when he was elected as the first President of the Second French Republic. Subsequently, in AD 1852, he declared himself Emperor of the French Empire, a position he held until his deposition on September 4, AD 1870.

Napoleon III was renowned for his ambitious foreign policy, including French intervention in Mexico and the Crimean War, along with significant modernisation projects within France. His reign witnessed the expansion of the French colonial empire and significant industrial growth, contributing to the prosperity of the French economy. However, his aggressive foreign policy and desire to establish French dominance in Europe led to the Franco-Prussian War, which resulted in a devastating defeat for France and the capture of Napoleon III by Prussian forces. This defeat led to his deposition and the proclamation of the Third Republic in France. Napoleon III spent the last years of his life in exile in England, where he died.

物件編號: A268

年代: 公元 1863 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 18.9 x 18.9 mm

製造地: 史特拉斯堡鑄幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

此枚為法蘭西帝國於公元1863年，拿破崙三世在位期間發行的金幣，面額為20法郎。

硬幣的正面為頭戴桂冠的皇帝拿破崙三世的側面肖像，周圍環繞著以法文刻有銘文「 Napoleon III Empereur  (皇帝拿破崙三世)」，肖像的下方刻有雕刻家的名字「 Barre 」。名字上方的三葉草十字符號為公元1861-1870年間史特拉斯堡鑄幣廠廠長Henri Delbecque的私人記號。

硬幣背面的中央刻有法蘭西第二帝國的王室徽章: 一面繪有老鷹圖案的盾牌，置於拿破崙的皇家斗篷之中，斗篷頂部有一頂皇冠，並且盾牌的周圍被榮譽軍團勳章的項鍊所圍繞。盾牌後疊著交錯擺放的象徵正義與仁慈的權杖。硬幣上半部刻有法文「 EMPIRE FRANÇAIS (法蘭西帝國)」，下半部刻有此枚金幣的面額「20FR」，王室徽章的正下方則刻有此枚金幣鑄造發行的年份「1863」，年份左側的英文字母「BB」代表該硬幣的鑄造地。A標示為巴黎鑄幣廠，BB標示為史特拉斯堡鑄幣廠。年份右側的錨型記號則為巴黎鑄幣廠雕刻師Albert Désiré Barre的私人標記。

史特拉斯堡鑄幣廠自公元962年就已存在，法國統一後，該鑄幣廠作為巴黎鑄幣廠的分部運作。從公元1797年起，史特拉斯堡鑄幣廠一直使用字母「BB」作為記號，一直到公元1870年倒閉。 

此枚貨幣屬於法蘭西第二帝國期間(公元1852-公元1870年)的流通貨幣，該時期的統治者為拿破崙三世。拿破崙三世統治期間，鑄造發行了大量錢幣，他在位的18年間發行了超過4億枚貨幣。

拿破崙三世，原名查爾斯-路易·拿破崙·波拿巴(Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte，公元1808年-公元1873年)。公元1848年，法國爆發二月革命，他贏得了選舉，擔任法蘭西第二共和國的第一任總統。隨後，他於公元1852年自立為法蘭西帝國皇帝，直到公元1870年9月4日被廢黜。 

拿破崙三世以其雄心勃勃的外交政策著稱，包括法國干預墨西哥和克里米亞戰爭，以及在法國內部進行的主要現代化項目。他的統治時期見證了法國殖民帝國的擴張和顯著的工業增長，為法國經濟的繁榮做出了貢獻。然而，他激進的外交政策和渴望在歐洲確立法國的主導地位導致了普法戰爭，這場戰爭使法國遭受慘敗，拿破崙三世被普魯士軍隊俘虜。這場失敗導致了他被廢黜和第三共和國在法國的宣布。拿破崙三世在英國流亡的最後幾年中去世。