Special Selection Commemoration of the Bicentennial of Napoleon I's Death

Napoleon! Few historical figures have raised as many contradictory passions and embodied as many symbols as him. The commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of Bonaparte’s death this May 5, 2021 brings us face to face with a complex man and era. Far from the debates now taking place in France, we offer to you today a special selection of coins, medals, jetons (and notes!) related to Napoleon I!

As an amazing communicator, Napoleon readily understood the importance of monetary items, medals and jetons as propaganda tools. Even after his death, his supporters used such materials to keep his memory alive throughout the 19^th century. The French Consulate, then the Empire and the successors and partisans of Bonapartism were all featured on coins, medals and jetons, as true political tools, throughout the 19^th c. and even later on.

In 1955, choosing to feature Bonaparte on the then new 10,000-Franc note speaks volumes about what message the Fifth Republic meant to convey about itself, just ten years after the end of WWII!

Although this overview is far from being exhaustive, do come along and take a walk with us through our history and remembrance. To access all the coins, medals, jetons and banknotes we have selected for you, just click on the link below: