The Coins of Napoleon's Era

Except there was no political entity called Germany at that time. The various German countries were partly against Napoleonic France, partly on his side and partly neutral. But at that time the initial enthusiasm among those who wanted political reforms was mostly gone.

Here in Rhineland for example many had welcomed the change that the French - first revolutionary, then imperial - government meant. (Just think of the emancipation that the Code Civil brought - Prussia which annexed the area after 1815 did fortunately not replace that with its relatively antiquated law.) In Düsseldorf, NW we then got a Kaiserstraße (Emperor Street, rue de l'Empereur) that was named - no, not after some post-1871 Prussian-German emperor but Napoleon Bonaparte! And it still has that name ...

Christian

 

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Yeah, I know , and Waterloo was dutch territory in 1815, Belgium as a country was formed in 1830, I was writing in the present.

 

Ah, I see. By the way, while my collection is still not where I am, here are some coins from Berg; the link takes you to the Joachim Murat pieces. Murat's successor so to say was Napoleon himself (personal union) but he did not have Bergish coins minted.

Christian

 

1796 Kronenthaler (Austrian Netherlands). Portrait of Francis II (I) of Austria. Francis II suffered several defeats at the hands of the French during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, losing significant territory to the French. Necessity forced him to ally himself with Napoleon, and marry his daughter Marie Louise to him. This brought him a period of peace in which he built up Austrian strength and he participated in the final campaign that brought Napoleon down.




Here is an 1865 Thaler from Hannover struck to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. It was included in pension payments to veterans who had fought Napoleon at Waterloo. Mintage 15,000.

 

i have several coin from the period and "neighborhood"...but none from france. on my list!

 

(Note: This is an edited version of something I wrote a few years back for a site dealing with history.)

Marie Louise (or Maria Luigia), the Duchess of Parma, was the eldest daughter of the Austrian emperor Francis I. She was used as a bargaining chip to forge an alliance between Napoleon and the Austrian Emperor. Napoleon had previously divorced his wife Josephine who failed to give him an heir.

She was not yet nineteen years old when she married Napoleon. When informed of the secret decision for her to marry Napoleon and asked for her consent, she replied, "I wish only what my duty commands me to wish."



Marie Louise dutifully agreed to marry Napoleon (more than two decades her senior) in 1810 and came to love and admire him. (Marie Louise, however, may have been haunted by thoughts of her great aunt Marie Antoinette who also went to France but whose fate ended with tragic results.) She later wrote her father, "I assure you, dear papa, that people have done great injustice to the Emperor. The better one knows him, the better one appreciates and loves him."

After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, the former Empress of France was made ruler of the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla according to the terms of Treaty of Fontainebleau (which was later reaffirmed and revised at the Congress of Vienna).


Parma. Maria Luigia gold 20 Lire 1815, KM-C31, AU58 NGC,
(My coin, not my picture.)


Marie Louise adapted quickly to her new setting and became very popular in Parma. She even chose to be called by her Italian name Maria Luigia, instead. She brought with her to Parma the French culture, as well as the fragile violet flower. With the help of a local monastery, she created her own perfume from the leaves and flower of the violet that is still popular today.

She remained the beloved Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla till her death in 1847 at the age of 56.



Daguerreotype of Marie Louise taken in 1847, shortly before her death.


Marie Louise imported to Parma the best ideas of the French enlightenment and liberalism.

The Duchess promoted many building projects in her duchy: an important bridge, public parks and gardens, a library, museums, schools, and medical clinics for both women and the mentally ill. She loved music and supported theaters, music schools, and scholarships (including one for the young Giuseppe Verdi who later dedicated an opera to her).

Marie Louise, despite her belonging to the House of Habsburg, tried to temper the bloody and tyrannical rule of the Austrians in Northern Italy, including her insane cousin Francis IV, Duke of neighboring Modena. She granted amnesty to the Italian revolutionaries in the early 1830s.

Marie Louise (called by the people of Parma "the good duchess”) embodied a combination of beauty, grace, and sophistication. She possessed a deep understanding and compassion for human suffering. This is why she is still admired today in Parma.

 

these are 3 French from that time.

1808 20 Franc XF45

1796 Decime Lan 5 VF30

1797 Centime Lan 6 AU50


But on a side note I have about 250 Spanish Royal Documents (1743-1898) with maybe 15 directed toward napoleon to include pamphlets about Napoleon Usurping the Spanish Crown while pretending to be an ally. Even a booklet of Pamphlets from Pope Pius VII who was kidnapped by Napoleon and wrote several anti-napoleon works.

 

Nice coins, britannia40 & sounds cool about the documents.

 

here ill share you a link.
https://royal-spanish-documents.smugmug.com/

 

Thank you, everybody, for your posts and very interesting contributions to this thread.
Many fascinating historical facts, and not the least, pictures of coins related to this era of european history.

Here is a gold Dukat struck in Frankfurt in 1796 as contribution forced upon the city by the french revolutionary army under general Jean-Baptiste Kleber. The occupying french forces bombarded the city, took key government members ransom, and imposed a forced tribute of 8 million Livres.

The city fathers resorted to collecting gold and silber objects from the churches and citizens in order to meet the burden of paying the ransom.
The coin accordingly reads '(Struck) from the Vessels of the Churches and Citizens of the City of Frankfurt).
View of the city on the obverse as seen from the river Main.

 

I love that 20 Franc gold piece.

 

Death of Napoleon by Nicholas Guy Antoine Brenet.

 

That is a Fantastic piece, of history,

 

History was an easy subject for me to learn in high school, and have spent the remainder of my years working with my hands. It is all ways a pleasure reading a good post! Like going back to school for a history lesson every day. I dig it.
Thanks ya'll.

 

And people have the audacity to think that US coins are the only objects worthy of numismatic intrigue.

The dies of that coin look quite hastily made. It sure fits into its historical niche.

 

Yours is a wonderful progression of coins through that historical timeline. Well done, thanks.

 

Tank you very much for that superb write-up! very interesting.

 

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Not really anything but why wont get you much without an explanation