1 Franc of the Consulate
France
1803–1804
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$11.42
Based on Silver spot price ($78.96/oz) · 90.0% purity · 5g
Updated 10:08 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Years Minted | 1803–1804 |
| Composition | 0.900 silver |
| Weight | 5 g |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: Dieu protège la France |
Design
Obverse
Features a draped bust of a woman representing the French Republic, with the inscription 'République Française'.
Reverse
Depicts the denomination '1 Franc' in the center, surrounded by a wreath, with the year below.
History & Notable Facts
This silver franc from 1803-1804 was the first French coin to enforce the decimal system, weighing exactly 5 grams of 0.900 fine silver—a bold step toward economic stability after years of revolutionary chaos.
That precision came from mints in Paris and other sites, where dies crafted by Pierre-Joseph Bertrand and Jean-Pierre Droz revived classical motifs. One side showed a laurel-wreathed head of the Republic; the other, the denomination within a wreath. No portraits of Napoleon yet—those would wait for his empire.
Mintage figures are murky; records from that era often vanished in later fires or wars. Still, these coins circulated widely, aiding trade in a fractured Europe.
Some say they symbolized Napoleon's grip on power. Others just see a sturdy piece of metal.
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