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Mints Around the World Mark the 200th Anniversary of Napoleon’s Death with Coins
By: Louis Golino
2021 marks the 200th anniversary since the death of Napoleon Bonapart, also known as Napoleon I or just Napoleon, one of the most influential figures in French and European history who died in 1821. Napoloen died after being exiled to St. Helena in 1815 following his loss of the Battle of Waterloo, marking the second time he was forced into exile – the first being to Elba in 1814 after being forced to surrender after another military loss. To honor 200 years since his passing, mints around the world, including the Paris Mint, are issuing a wide-variety of stunning Napoleon-themed coinage in 2021
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Numismatic Legacy
Born on the French island Corsica in 1769, Napoleon rose to prominence during the French Revolution and was later crowned Emperor of France in 1804. As a result of his extensive military conquests, he also later ruled Italy and part of what is today Germany, Switzerland, and other European countries.
Beyond his impact on military strategy that is still studied today, he had a lasting impact shaping the modern world with the many liberal reforms he brought to the countries he conquered. His lasting contributions include the famous Napoleonic Code, the first European civil legal system) and reforms to education to make it secular.
However, Napoleon's legacy also includes a ruthless side that included the mass extermination of people in the lands he sought to conquer and the reimposition of slavery in French colonies in 1802. Slavery had already been abolished earlier in 1794 during the French Revolution.
While Napoleon's historical legacy remains a subject of extensive debate today, especially in France and among historians, his impact on numismatics remains extensive. That is partly because of the many silver and gold coins issued during the 19th century that bear his image, which are still widely collected around the world, and also because he remains a very popular subject on modern world commemorative coinage issued by France and many other countries.
Napoleon Coins from France
To mark the 200th anniversary of his passing, the Monnaie de Paris, or Paris mint, issued an extensive range of silver and gold Napoleon coins, including several that focus on his signature cap known as a bicorne that European and American naval officers wore in the 18th and 19th centuries.
An exceptionally innovative release is the Proof coins shaped like the bicorne itself issued in a 22.2-gram, .999 fine silver 10-euro version and available graded proof 70 by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).
There is also a lovely 1 oz .999 fine Proof Gold issue – each with a 37-millimeter diameter. Mintages are 3,000 for the silver and 250 for the gold being sold here graded Proof 70 by NGC.
Currently sold out at the Monnaie de Paris, both Silver and Gold Bicorn legal-tender coins required the expertise of the artisans at the Mint and a special tool to cut the planchet and achieve their stunning atypical shapes.
On the obverse of these coins are soldiers with riffles known as grenadiers of the guard, the dual dates 1821 and 2021, which appear on the hat’s brim, and on the right is a symbolic figure for justice and inscriptions in French that means “Legion of Honor” – another part of his legacy – and “French Civil Code.”
On the reverse of these coins is Napoleon’s silhouette against a background featuring rays of sun intended to represent the sun of Austerlitz where France defeated Russian troops) and an eagle (long seen as a symbol of Napoleon because he gave his regiments a staff with an imperial eagle on it) plus numerous small bees (which he chose to be his emblem as emperor). A laurel is integrated into the “O” in the denomination. Laurel is considered another Napoleonic symbol because of the laurel crown he wore when he was coronated at the Notre Dame cathedral. He appears wearing a laurel on many of the coins issued during his reign.
Another French release for this Napoleon 200th anniversary, or “Year of Napoleon,” as it is called in France, features Napoleon wearing his bicorne hat adorned with similar Napoleonic symbols that also show his profile and include lots of bees in the background on the obverse. The reverse is very similar to the one on the bicorne coins.
This coin was issued in a high-relief 1 oz .999 silver 20-euro version with a diameter of 37 millimeters and a mintage of 3,000 pieces as well as a ¼-oz .999 gold 50-euro coin with a diameter of 22 millimeters and a mintage of 500 pieces.
The silver coin is also available graded Proof 70 by NGC.
Napoleon Coins from Djibouti
Jacques-Louis David was a famous French painter of the 19th century best known for his works depicting Napoleon. One of his most famous paintings shows Napoleon in 1801 on horseback as he crosses the Alps mountains in 1800 to surprise Austrian troops and wins the Battle of Marengo, helping to secure his military prominence and position in France.
The top portion of that famous work has now been recreated in a stunning, 5 oz .999 silver proof-like coin issued by Djibouti, a former French colony, with a denomination of 250 Francs. The reverse shows the upper part of the image of Napoleon from the painting, while the obverse features those bees again plus the emblem of the issuing country in the center, one of his famous quotes about the glory of victory below and inscriptions above for his name, dates he lived, date of issuance, weight, and silver purity. Only 500 of these coins were issued.
Napoleon Coins from St. Helena
Finally, coins are also being issued this year for the 200th anniversary by the East India Company (EIC) of the United Kingdom on behalf of St. Helena. They include bullion and collector issues such as a £1, 1 oz, .999 silver Angel coin.
The bullion reverse shows an angel at Napoleon’s tomb, while the obverse carries the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.
These coins were inspired by Napoleon’s tomb in Paris at Les Invalides that is adorned with 12 watchful angels, as well as by the famous 20-France Angel gold coin designed by Augustine Dupre that for centuries have been believed to be coins that brought luck to those who owned them.
Dupre was a French engraver who served as the equivalent of the chief engraver at the French mint and is also known for engraving the Libertas Americana medal. Napoleon himself is thought to have always carried a lucky Angel with him until he lost it the very day before his famous defeat by the British at Waterloo.
There is also a coin featuring a portrait of Napoleon as a younger man issued for St. Helena in cooperation with EIC and Coin Invest Trust AG of Lichtenstein (known as CIT). Issued in several versions in silver and gold, the one we are offering is the 1 oz, .999 silver high-relief with a diameter of 38.61 millimeters and a mintage of 1,821 coins graded Proof 70 by NGC.
The obverse features the Jody Clark royal effigy created for St. Helena plus inscriptions for the denomination (£1), country and year of issue, and monarch.
Behind the portrait on the reverse is the famous Arc de Triomphe, which Napoleon commissioned after his victory at Austerlitz in 1806 and which was recently draped in white as an art installation.
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