What was the name given to the former French gold coins that were worth 20 francs?

TabbyTom

Twenty-franc or twenty-livre pieces struck under the pre-Revolutionary monarchy were known as "louis d'or" or simply "louis." Later 20-franc coins were known as "napoleons," even after the fall of the Bonapartes. Feb 11 04, 1:37 PM

sequoianoir

[Feb 11 04 1:34 PM] sequoianoir writes: Are we talking "Roosters" or "Lucky Angels" ? Minted 1871-1898 The magnificent 1793 “Guardian Angel” design was originally created during the French Revolution by Augustine Dupré. In 1871, the design was resurrected by the Third Republic for the French gold 20-franc coin. On the obverse, a winged angel inscribes the inspired French Constitution, set on a pedestal above Dupré’s signature. To its left is a fasces, the ancient Roman symbol of authority later used on the U.S. Mercury dime. To its right a proud rooster symbolizes the fighting spirit of the Republic. The reverse displays a laurel wreath of peace and achievement. Almost from the beginning, gold Angels were regarded as lucky. Their legend began during the Reign of Terror in the mid-1790s, when the coin’s designer, Augustus Dupré, claimed to have been saved from the guillotine by the lucky Angel coin in his pocket. http://www.amergold.com/vault/20FrancGoldAngels.shtml Feb 11 04, 1:47 PM

sequoianoir

Minted from 1899 to 1914, these traditional French gold coins feature the dynamic image of the Gallic Rooster, or Coq Gaulois, one of the national symbols of the France since the Middle Ages. The Gallic Rooster played an important role during the French Revolution as an image of revolutionary vigilance, confidence, and pugnacity. In the 1830s the rooster temporarily replaced the fleur-de-lis as the official national emblem until Napoleon III reinstated the fleur-de-lis once again in the mid-1800s. http://www.thegoldcoinstore.com/EuropeanGold/French_Gold_20_Franc_Roosters.shtml Feb 11 04, 1:51 PM