Napoleon III France, Gold Francs

The Nephew of the military genius Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon III was the first President and indeed the youngest elected French president until Emmanuel Macron in 2017.  He was also the last Monarch of France and one of his greatest achievements was the modernisation of Paris, which began in 1853 and saw the demolition of medieval dwellings which were replaced with modern buildings, fountains and aqueducts, turning the city into one of the most beautiful in Europe.

That beauty also applied to his coinage, with Jean Jacques Barre’s ‘Laureate Head’ and ‘Bare Head’ portraits of Napoleon III, still highly regarded to this day for their fine detail and incredible relief for a circulated coin.