© Dix Noonan Webb
© Dix Noonan Webb
20 Livres Countermarked coinage ND
1803 year| Gold (.917) | - | - |
| Issuer | Guadeloupe (Overseas France) |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Year | 1803 |
| Value | 20 Livres |
| Currency | Livre tournois (1635-1795) |
| Composition | Gold (.917) |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Countermarked |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-04 |
| Numista | N#68599 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 93% |
Reverse
Remaining design from original coin which is used to identify if it is a 4.1 or 4.2.
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about this coin is that it was issued during the height of the Napoleonic Wars, specifically in 1803, when France was facing economic sanctions and a shortage of gold coins. To address this issue, the French government decided to countermark existing coins with a new denomination, in this case, the 20 Livres coin, which was made of gold (.917) and bore the image of Napoleon Bonaparte. This countermarking process allowed the government to quickly produce new coins without having to mint them from scratch, and it also helped to maintain the value of the French currency during a time of economic instability.
