20 Francs Coq

The 20 Francs Coq coin features a rooster design that was meant to embody French resilience, but in practice, it just made for a sturdy piece of currency during turbulent times.

Struck at the Paris mint from 1899 to 1914, these gold coins used 900 fine gold and weighed about 6.45 grams. Jules-Clément Chaplain's engraving shows the bird in profile, facing the Latin inscription "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité," a nod to the Republic's ideals without the usual fanfare. Mintage varied by year, though exact numbers for 1907, for instance, remain unclear due to incomplete records from that era.

Many assume the rooster symbolized victory in battles, but that's mostly myth; it was simply a national emblem chosen for its simplicity. I've handled hundreds of these over the years, and they're appreciated for their clean lines, not some imagined aura. As for the gold, it often came from French colonial sources, though specifics are hazy.

The design halted abruptly in 1914 with the war's onset, leaving collectors to ponder what might have been.