Owner Comments:
1911 20 Francs - Design: OBVERSE: "Marianne" or head of Republic wearing a phrygian cap. The engraver's name J.C. Chaplin appears in the field. ~ REVERSE: A Gallic Cock with the inscription, which was the motto of the French Revolution, - LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE - "Liberty, equality, fraternity"
Mint: Paris
Mintage: 5,346,000
References: KM #857 / Fr. 596a
Specifications: Diameter – 21.0mm
Weight – 6.4516 g. @ 0.9000 Gold = .1867 oz AGW
Acquired: February 2005
Providence: None
Notes:
Ø This coin also has raised stars and a motto on engraved in its edge, Dieu Protegue La France (God Protect France)
Ø The phrygian cap was the cap worn by the freed slaves of Greek and Rome. The cap has become a symbol of freedom and republic and is found in many world coin designs.
Ø From the Third Republic Period of France which started with Napoleon III's defeat in the Franco- Prussian War of 1870 and lasted until World War II.
Ø Marianne, a national emblem of France, is a personification of liberty and reason. She is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honor in town halls and courts of law. Her image is one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic.