The original 'Angel' reverse on the 20F French coins issued between 1871-1898 was first depicted in 1791, following the 1789 revolution. The reverse depicts a winged figure writing the constitution of the new post-revolutionary France. A legend sprang up around these 'angel coins' on account of a story of how the designer of the coin, Augustine Dupré, escaped the execution during the Reign of Terror because the ‘Guardian Angel’ of the coin he was carrying in his pocket supposedly prevented the blade of the guillotine from falling!
The story is almost certainly apocryphal, not just because of the lack of reliable records supporting it and the incredible nature of the story, but also because the other Roman imagery in the design and the general anti-clerical secularism of the Revolution, suggests that the winged figure is more likely to be a representation of a Roman Genius (or ‘Spirit’ of something, as in the ‘Spirit of the Revolution’) rather than an ‘angel’.
Nevertheless, the legend took on a life of its own, and to possess a coin with an ‘angel’ on was considered to bring the owner good luck. Napoleon’s failure at Waterloo was attributed to his misplacing of the coin which had previously brought him luck on his campaigns.
With the collapse of the Second French Empire in 1870, the new Third Republic resurrected the revolutionary-inspired design for the reverse of the gold 20F coin and maintained it until 1898. During the First World War, French soldiers often carried these as a talisman, and later, during the Second World War Herman Goering, the Head of the Luftwaffe, was said to have been obsessed by the luck that was allegedly inherent in these coins and looted as many as he could get hold of from occupied France to give to his ‘ace’ pilots to ensure that their luck would continue!
Regardless of how lucky these coins really are, the legends surrounding these particular coin types makes them one of the more interesting items we can offer for sale.

Obverse:
Denomination and date set within a wreath, surrounded by the revolutionary legend 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' (Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood).

Reverse:
Winged Genius of the Revolution leaving against a column writing the the word 'Constitution', set above the signature of the engraver. With the Fasces (a Roman Republican symbol of authority) and a Rooster (the symbol of France) set on either side of the figure.

Technical Specifications

Denomination	Diameter	Weight	Fineness	Gold Content
20 Francs	21	6.4516	0.900	0.1867

Prices & Availability - 20 Francs
Please contact us prior to ordering for current prices and availability.

Date	Description	Grade	Mintage	Availability	Price £	Price $
1871-A	Angel Writing	about Unc	2,508,000	Sold	£165	$265
1875-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	1,216,000	Ask	£165	$265
1876-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	11,749,000	Yes	£165	$265
1877-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	12,759,000	Yes	£165	$265
1878-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	9,189,000	Ask	£165	$265
1887-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	1,231,000	Ask	£165	$265
1889-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	873,000	Ask	£165	$265
1890-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	1,030,000	Ask	£165	$265
1891-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	871,000	Ask	£165	$265
1893-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	2,517,000	Ask	£165	$265
1894-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	491,000	Ask	£165	$265
1895-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	5,293,000	Ask	£165	$265
1896-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	5,330,000	Ask	£165	$265
1897-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	11,069,000	Ask	£165	$265
1898-A	Angel Writing	almost Unc	8,886,000	Ask	£165	$265

Postage & Packing
UK Registered Post (Special Delivery) £6 per order
EU Insured Post £10 per order
USA Airmail $10 per order
USA Insured Shipping $20 per order