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Buy a Gold French 20 Francs Napoléons (Best Value)
from
£382.70
(VAT Exempt)
Our Best Value French 20 Francs contain 5.81 grams of pure gold. These coins are sometimes called Napoléons because they were first issued by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. Gold 20 Franc pieces were struck for more than one hundred years and show a variety of different designs, reflecting the fascinating and complex political history of France in the nineteenth century. The example pictured shows the face of Marianne - the personification of the French Republic - to the obverse, paired with the image of a rooster: another important national symbol. When you buy our best value French 20 Francs you might receive a range of different designs and dates. What you can be sure of is that each coin is composed of 6.45 grams of 900.0 gold, equivalent to 21.6 carats or 5.81 grams of pure gold. This specification remained the same until the coin ceased being struck annually in 1914 and was also used for later re-strikes. Our best value coins are carefully authenticated by our expert staff and are guaranteed to be in good to fair circulated condition. We’ll send you our choice of year from our current stock. A great investment, these coins are VAT exempt in the UK and EU.
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DescriptionSummarySpecificationAbout us
French gold 20 Franc coins in our choice of year.
The Story of the Gold Franc
The first Francs were gold coins, issued by medieval French Kings. The name was revived for a new, decimalised national currency in introduced in the midst of the French Revolution in 1795. 1 Franc was worth 10 Décimes or 100 Centimes: a system that continued to be used until the Euro was adopted in 2002.
Gold coins, worth multiple Francs, were first minted in 1803. These gold Francs served a similar purpose to the earlier French gold coin, the Louis D'Or. Initially, 20 and 40 Franc coins were issued though it was the 20 Franc pieces that circulated better.
The first of these coins were issued by Napoleon Bonaparte during his reign as First Consul of France. Its this association that led to gold Francs being referred to as 'Napoléons', even when they no longer bore his likeness.
20 Franc Specifications
The 1803 French 20 Franc measured 21.00 millimetres in diameter and weighed in at 6.45 grams. This specification and the fineness - 900.0, equivalent to 21.6 carats - remained the same until the final annual issue of these coins in 1914 (including later restrikes).
20 Franc coins continued to be minted in France, after Louis XVIII was restored to the French throne in 1814. His portrait then that of his brother, Charles X, replaced Bonaparte’s but the weight and fineness of the 20 Franc coin remained the same. Louis Philippe I's effigy graced the 20 Franc coin during the July Monarchy.
The Second Republic, Second Empire and Third Republic also minted gold 20 Franc coins. Those issued by Napoleon III bore his profile on the obverse while others featured significant symbols: Marianne; Ceres, goddess of agriculture, an angel and a rooster. These later 20 Franc coins largely displayed the legend 'LIBERTÉ EGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ'.
Investing in French Gold
French 20 Franc coins were always minted in 21.6-carat gold, meaning each 6.45 gram coin contains 5.81 grams of pure gold. Their gold content means that they are VAT exempt in the UK and EU. You will still need to pay Capital Gains Tax on any profit you make above the UK Government’s CGT allowance as 20 Franc coins are not legal tender.
Your French 20 Franc coins will be selected from our available stock. For our Best Value offers we cannot guarantee the specific year or years you will receive. If you order multiple 20 Franc coins you may find that their dates and designs vary significantly.
However, we can guarantee that your French 20 Franc coins will be in good to fair, circulated condition. These 20 Franc coins do not have significant numismatic value but you can trust that their pure gold content will be as stated. You will not find any ex-jewellery mount coins or similarly damaged stock in your order.
Reviews
We are always proud to show off our previous customers experiences with you and what they thought of our purchasing through with Britannia Coins.
Easy to use website. Fast and easy checkout. And items dispatch next business day with tracking. Only thing is coins sometimes are not up to snuff and have marks or spots Etc. BCC does quality checks but can be improved.
Christopher DeSantis
5th January 2024
Very fast delivery, good comms and excellent value.Very pleased with my purchase.
Phil H
1st September 2023
You service was very efficient, delivered very fast, one I ordered the coin on Tuesday night it was delivered on Thursday morning
Alison M
31st August 2023
Extremely efficient service. Purchases received within 1 or 2 days. Great bullion deals with highly competitive premiums. As a repeat customer I can't recommend highly enough.
David R
30th August 2023
Buon giorno. Avete un negozio online ben fornito e di facile utilizzo. L'imballaggio del prodotto è stato ottimo. Ho solo un reclamo da fare ! Ho provato a chiamare presso op vostro negozio più volte senza avere nessuna risposta , ho usato anche il vostro contatto watzap ma anche in questo caso non ho avuto risposta. Vi ho contattato a luglio e agosto per sapere se erano previste le spese doganali,in fine ho acquistato senza sapere ....
Roberto S
29th August 2023
Very easy to use website I think you enter the website and there's the latest "live metal prices" with an "Enter Search Item" bar at the top of the page. I like the fact it has the search feature as the home page. When you search for the item(s) it quickly shows the results, along with images of the coins or coin sets. I like that, too. The only downside with these types of businesses, is that you can't get to see a close up image of the coin and/or coin set you are buying. I feel that, because this company buys coins from collectors, etc. that they will have several items that are the same, but in varying degrees of quality and condition, and then, when your buying a 2nd hand item, it's going to be a case of pot luck on what you're going to get. And so, if it was possible, I'd love for BCC to get images of each item that you're going to buy. This is so you know what you're getting before you buy it. That said, every item I've bought from BCC has been of a very nice quality. Two of the coins were of a staggering high quality and the two sets I bought were much better than the average coin sets from eBay. I would say that BCC are the best company in the UK when it comes to used and brand new coins and coin sets. Not only that, the speed at which they get your order processed and delivered to your door is very very fast. The packaging is also on point and highly professional. Also, and one of the most important things, I really trust the Britannia Coin Company. Their prices are very fair and their items are clean and in good condition. They also have a good standing within the coin community.
Mark D
24th August 2023
Coins were of good quality
Marc G
24th August 2023
Very happy with my purchase. Arrived promptly and in perfect condition.
Malcolm P
24th August 2023
Easy to order and pay online. Next day delivery.
William David E
24th August 2023
I was amazed at the communication from when my order was initiated and being kept in the loop as to the progress. All transactions were good and amazed at how quick my parcel was shipped out and received the following day! Due to excellent customer service I have not hesitated recommending to others.
Kevin A
24th August 2023
