Napoleon

Among the French 20 franc gold coins produced were those bearing the image of Napoleon I or III but many 20 franc coins were produced with varying designs. Like the Sovereign in Britain, the Napoleon became the generic term for a generation of French gold coins and the favourite of French investors. First minted in 1803, the coin, weighing 6.4516 grams, contained 0.1867 troy ounces of 900 fine gold. It is still traded on the Paris gold market.

An early example, minted in 1815,
of France's popular Napoleon coin
(Credit: Spink & Son Ltd)