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GTG! Guess the Grade! Hercule 5 Francs 1876A Paris
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<p>[QUOTE="MIGuy, post: 7610048, member: 116145"]SensibleSal, it's Hercules!!!!! I only need a few more guesses before I show off the "graded" slab, lol.</p><p><br /></p><p>More info:</p><p>The symbol of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules" rel="nofollow">Hercules</a> was first adopted by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Regime" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Regime" rel="nofollow">Old Regime</a> to represent the monarchy.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-24" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-24" rel="nofollow">[24]</a> Hercules was an ancient Greek hero who symbolized strength and power. The symbol was used to represent the sovereign authority of the King over France during the reign of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Bourbon" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Bourbon" rel="nofollow">Bourbon monarchs</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25" rel="nofollow">[25]</a> However, the monarchy was not the only ruling power in French history to use the symbol of Hercules to declare its power.</p><p><br /></p><p>During the Revolution, the symbol of Hercules was revived to represent nascent revolutionary ideals. The first use of Hercules as a revolutionary symbol was during a festival celebrating the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(French_Revolution)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(French_Revolution)" rel="nofollow">National Assembly's</a> victory over federalism on 10 August 1793.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-26" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-26" rel="nofollow">[26]</a> "Federalism" was a movement to weaken the central government.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-27" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-27" rel="nofollow">[27]</a> This Festival of Unity consisted of four stations around Paris which featured symbols representing major events of the Revolution which embodied revolutionary ideals of liberty, unity, and power.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-28" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-28" rel="nofollow">[28]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The statue of Hercules, placed at the station commemorating the fall of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI" rel="nofollow">Louis XVI</a>, symbolized the power of the French people over their former oppressors. The statue's foot was placed on the throat of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra" rel="nofollow">Hydra</a>, which represented the tyranny of federalism which the new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic" rel="nofollow">Republic</a> had vanquished. In one hand, the statue grasped a club, a symbol of power, while in the other grasping the fasces which symbolized the unity of the French people. The image of Hercules assisted the new Republic in establishing its new Republican moral system. Hercules thus evolved from a symbol of the sovereignty of the monarch into a symbol of the new sovereign authority in France: the French people.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-29" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-29" rel="nofollow">[29]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>This transition was made easily for two reasons. First, because Hercules was a famous mythological figure, and had previously been used by the monarchy, he was easily recognized by educated French observers. It was not necessary for the revolutionary government to educate the French people on the background of the symbol. Additionally, Hercules recalled the classical age of the Greeks and the Romans, a period which the revolutionaries identified with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism" rel="nofollow">republican</a> and democratic ideals. These connotations made Hercules an easy choice to represent the powerful new sovereign people of France.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25" rel="nofollow">[25]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>During the more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror" rel="nofollow">radical phase</a> of the Revolution from 1793 to 1794, the usage and depiction of Hercules changed. These changes to the symbol were due to revolutionary leaders believing the symbol was inciting violence among the common citizens. The triumphant battles of Hercules and the overcoming of enemies of the Republic became less prominent. In discussions over what symbol to use for the Seal of the Republic, the image of Hercules was considered but eventually ruled out in favor of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne" rel="nofollow">Marianne</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" rel="nofollow">[30]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Hercules was on the coin of the Republic. However, this Hercules was not the same image as that of the pre-Terror phases of the Revolution. The new image of Hercules was more domesticated. He appeared more paternal, older, and wiser, rather than the warrior-like images in the early stages of the French Revolution. Unlike his 24-foot statue in the Festival of the Supreme Being, he was now the same size as Liberty and Equality.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" rel="nofollow">[30]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Also the language on the coin with Hercules was very different from the rhetoric of pre-revolutionary depictions. On the coins the words, "uniting Liberty and Equality" were used. This is opposed to the forceful language of early Revolutionary rhetoric and rhetoric of the Bourbon monarchy. By 1798, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ancients" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ancients" rel="nofollow">Council of Ancients</a> had discussed the "inevitable" change from the problematic image of Hercules, and Hercules was eventually phased out in favor of an even more docile image.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30" rel="nofollow">[30]</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="MIGuy, post: 7610048, member: 116145"]SensibleSal, it's Hercules!!!!! I only need a few more guesses before I show off the "graded" slab, lol. More info: The symbol of [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules']Hercules[/URL] was first adopted by the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Regime']Old Regime[/URL] to represent the monarchy.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-24'][24][/URL] Hercules was an ancient Greek hero who symbolized strength and power. The symbol was used to represent the sovereign authority of the King over France during the reign of the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Bourbon']Bourbon monarchs[/URL].[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25'][25][/URL] However, the monarchy was not the only ruling power in French history to use the symbol of Hercules to declare its power. During the Revolution, the symbol of Hercules was revived to represent nascent revolutionary ideals. The first use of Hercules as a revolutionary symbol was during a festival celebrating the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(French_Revolution)']National Assembly's[/URL] victory over federalism on 10 August 1793.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-26'][26][/URL] "Federalism" was a movement to weaken the central government.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-27'][27][/URL] This Festival of Unity consisted of four stations around Paris which featured symbols representing major events of the Revolution which embodied revolutionary ideals of liberty, unity, and power.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-28'][28][/URL] The statue of Hercules, placed at the station commemorating the fall of [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI']Louis XVI[/URL], symbolized the power of the French people over their former oppressors. The statue's foot was placed on the throat of the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra']Hydra[/URL], which represented the tyranny of federalism which the new [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic']Republic[/URL] had vanquished. In one hand, the statue grasped a club, a symbol of power, while in the other grasping the fasces which symbolized the unity of the French people. The image of Hercules assisted the new Republic in establishing its new Republican moral system. Hercules thus evolved from a symbol of the sovereignty of the monarch into a symbol of the new sovereign authority in France: the French people.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-29'][29][/URL] This transition was made easily for two reasons. First, because Hercules was a famous mythological figure, and had previously been used by the monarchy, he was easily recognized by educated French observers. It was not necessary for the revolutionary government to educate the French people on the background of the symbol. Additionally, Hercules recalled the classical age of the Greeks and the Romans, a period which the revolutionaries identified with [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism']republican[/URL] and democratic ideals. These connotations made Hercules an easy choice to represent the powerful new sovereign people of France.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_101%E2%80%93102-25'][25][/URL] During the more [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror']radical phase[/URL] of the Revolution from 1793 to 1794, the usage and depiction of Hercules changed. These changes to the symbol were due to revolutionary leaders believing the symbol was inciting violence among the common citizens. The triumphant battles of Hercules and the overcoming of enemies of the Republic became less prominent. In discussions over what symbol to use for the Seal of the Republic, the image of Hercules was considered but eventually ruled out in favor of [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne']Marianne[/URL].[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30'][30][/URL] Hercules was on the coin of the Republic. However, this Hercules was not the same image as that of the pre-Terror phases of the Revolution. The new image of Hercules was more domesticated. He appeared more paternal, older, and wiser, rather than the warrior-like images in the early stages of the French Revolution. Unlike his 24-foot statue in the Festival of the Supreme Being, he was now the same size as Liberty and Equality.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30'][30][/URL] Also the language on the coin with Hercules was very different from the rhetoric of pre-revolutionary depictions. On the coins the words, "uniting Liberty and Equality" were used. This is opposed to the forceful language of early Revolutionary rhetoric and rhetoric of the Bourbon monarchy. By 1798, the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ancients']Council of Ancients[/URL] had discussed the "inevitable" change from the problematic image of Hercules, and Hercules was eventually phased out in favor of an even more docile image.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism_in_the_French_Revolution#cite_note-Hunt_1984,_113-30'][30][/URL][/QUOTE]
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