Collection of 6 French 20 franc gold coins 1855 through 1860 US $2,222.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 12:51:25 PST Add to watch list

GOLD COIN FRENCH ANGEL 20 FRANCS 1876 BU - NO RESERVE. US $350.00 (14 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 15:42:30 PST Add to watch list

1804 AN12-A FRANCE NAPOLEON BONAPARTE LARGE GOLD 40 FRANCS COIN 0.3734 AGW US $720.00 (11 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 1:23:26 PST Add to watch list

10 GEMMY BU FRENCH 20 FRANCS ROOSTER FRACTIONAL GOLD BULLION COINS 1906 to 1914 US $3,999.00 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 12:16:25 PST Add to watch list

2005 1/10oz.  0.999 Gold $15 Australian Year of the Rooster Limited Issue US $295.01 (14 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 17:01:33 PST Add to watch list

1878 FRANCE LEOPOLD II GOLD COIN FRANCS BELGIUM 20 franc US $325.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 13:22:50 PST Add to watch list

1927 FRANCE HELVETIA GOLD COIN FRANCS 20 franc US $325.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 13:34:22 PST Add to watch list

France 20 Francs, 1913 GOLD COIN "ROOSTER" franc US $330.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:20:16 PST Add to watch list

France 20 Francs, 1910 GOLD COIN "ROOSTER" franc US $330.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:55:59 PST Add to watch list

France 20 Francs, 1905 GOLD COIN "ROOSTER" franc US $330.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:14:25 PST Add to watch list

1922 FRANC GOLD COIN HELVETIA FRANCE 20 franc one coin US $325.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:27:54 PST Add to watch list

(2) gold France 20 franc coins, 1877 & 1893 US $750.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:31:57 PST Add to watch list

(31) gold France 20 franc roosters, various dates US $10,850.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:34:33 PST Add to watch list

(40) gold France 20 franc roosters, various dates US $13,750.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:35:36 PST Add to watch list

Authentic France 20 Francs Rooster Type 1899-1915 US $435.00 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 8:10:47 PST Add to watch list

20 francs French 1909 GOLD COIN France FRANC US $320.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 12:58:50 PST Add to watch list

1911 French 20 Franc GOLD Rooster US $399.95 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 23:15:30 PST Add to watch list

1900 Gold 20 Franc French Rooster Coin weighs .1867 oz Gold US $400.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 11:31:31 PST Add to watch list

1913 Gold 20 Franc French Rooster Coin weighs .1867 oz Gold US $400.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 17:02:23 PST Add to watch list

1879 - A FRANCE 100 FRANC GOLD ANGEL IN CHOICE BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED US $1,999.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 18:19:58 PST Add to watch list

France 20 Francs, 1913 GOLD COIN "ROOSTER" franc US $325.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 19:04:33 PST Add to watch list

1927 FRANCE HELVETIA GOLD COIN FRANCS 20 franc US $325.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 19:07:09 PST Add to watch list

1922 FRANC GOLD COIN HELVETIA FRANCE 20 franc one coin US $325.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 19:09:44 PST Add to watch list

1927 FRANCE HELVETIA GOLD COIN FRANCS 20 franc US $325.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 19:13:19 PST Add to watch list

GOLD COIN FRENCH ANGEL 20 FRANCS 1877 BU - NO RESERVE. US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 16:00:22 PST Add to watch list

GOLD COIN FRENCH ANGEL 20 FRANCS 1878 BU - NO RESERVE. US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 16:30:20 PST Add to watch list

100 GEM BU 1906-14 FRENCH 20 FRANCS GOLD ROOSTER COINS US $39,599.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 17:15:07 PST Add to watch list

5 RARE EUROPEAN GOLD COINS SWISS FRENCH BRITISH HELVETIA ANGEL ROOSTER SOVEREIGN US $2,249.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 19:00:31 PST Add to watch list

1852-A France, 20 Franc, .900 Gold, 6.4516g, A.S.W. .1867, Mint Paris, A MS Coin US $375.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 21:52:31 PST Add to watch list

1911 France 20 Franc Gold Rooster BU US $475.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 9:24:13 PST Add to watch list

Authentic 1907 France 20 Francs Rooster Type 1899-1915 US $425.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 14:03:44 PST Add to watch list

Tunisia 1901 20 Franc Gold Coin minted Paris, France. Only 150,000 minted. RARE US $1,000.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 18:59:42 PST Add to watch list

1993 SINGAPORE 25-SINGOLD .9999 1/4-oz GOLD YEAR OF ROOSTER/COCK SEALED GEM BU US $669.99 End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 17:35:19 PST Add to watch list

LOT OF 6 AU 1855-69 20 FRANC .900 GOLD FRENCH NAPOLEON COINS ALMOST UNCIRCULATED US $2,429.00 End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 18:45:19 PST Add to watch list

5 AU to UNC 20 FRANC GOLD FRENCH ANGELS 1876-1898 EUROPEAN BULLION GOLD COINS US $2,039.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 16:36:07 PST Add to watch list

1858 A 100 Francs GOLD FRANCE Full Deatail KM 786.1 XF US $3,749.99 End Date: Wednesday Feb-15-2012 10:49:03 PST Add to watch list

12 A-UNC. 20 FRANC GOLD FRENCH NAPOLEON COINS DATED FROM 1855-69 US $4,799.00 End Date: Wednesday Feb-15-2012 17:39:13 PST Add to watch list

10 CHOICE BU 20 FRANC GOLD FRENCH ANGELS 1876-1898 EUROPEAN BULLION COINS US $4,179.00 End Date: Thursday Feb-16-2012 18:10:07 PST Add to watch list

5 CHOICE BU 20 FRANC GOLD FRENCH ANGELS 1876-1898 EUROPEAN BULLION COINS US $2,139.00 End Date: Thursday Feb-16-2012 18:15:07 PST Add to watch list

2009 French 100 Euro Gold Sower Coin 1/10 oz 999 pure US $229.00 End Date: Friday Feb-17-2012 8:34:19 PST Add to watch list

10 AU to UNC 20 FRANC GOLD FRENCH ANGELS 1876-1898 EUROPEAN BULLION COINS US $3,999.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-25-2012 17:55:25 PST Add to watch list

5 BRILLIANT UNCIR FRENCH 20 FRANCS GOLD ROOSTER 1906-14 US $2,049.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-28-2012 15:57:09 PST Add to watch list

1895-A France 20 Francs Angel .1867 Troy Ounce Gold US $413.25 End Date: Wednesday Feb-29-2012 13:35:47 PST Add to watch list

RARE Tunisia 20 Franc 1900 Gold Coin minted in Paris,France. Only 150,000 minted US $1,000.00 End Date: Thursday Mar-01-2012 21:13:13 PST Add to watch list

1851-A France Gold 20 Francs 0.1867 Troy Ounce Gold - EF/AU Condition US $435.00 End Date: Saturday Mar-03-2012 14:53:45 PST Add to watch list

Like most other European countries, France was also influenced by the production of various luxury coins that had a more superior finish and as such were mainly distributed among the wealthy class and not used as common currency. These ‘Monnaies de luxues’ coins as they were known were only specimen coins and not used for circulation. These coins were produced with very high quality finishes that made them better than some of the other proofs produced by other countries.

The first Franc Gold coin was struck in 1360 and depicted King John clad in armor astride a horse because of which it came to be known as franc à cheval. The franc was then dropped as the main currency of France before being reintroduced again during the 1795 revolution. During the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, there were many Gold French Coins that were produced which became popular with collectors. These coins bore the symbol of the Bonaparte Army along with the words ‘EMPIRE FRANCAIS’ imprinted along with the date of minting. These coins had different denominations of ₣5, ₣ 10, ₣ 20, ₣ 40, ₣ 50 and ₣ 100 with the ₣ 100 gold coins having a gold content of 0.9355. The percentage of gold purity in these coins ranged from 90.0% for the ₣5 to 92.0% purity for the ₣100 Monnaies de Luxe coins. Coins minted from 1899 to 1914 bore the dynamic image of the Gallic Rooster or Coq Gaulois, considered to be one of the French national symbols since the Middle Ages.

There are many French coins that are considered to be collector’s items even today on account of their rarity with the only exception being the French ₣20 “Roosters” which was widely available. The Gallic Rooster played an important role during the French Revolution and endured an image of confidence and pugnacity. This Rooster temporarily replaced the fleur-de-lis until Napoleon III reinstated it in the mid 1800’s. Other gold coins such as the Golden Angel of 1876 or the 1896 ₣20 coins are much scarcer.