Napoelon Bonaparte, Consulate (1799-1804). Gold 20 Francs, AN XI-A (1802-1804) Paris mint. Bare head left with title of First Consul. Rev. Value within wreath (Fr 480; Gad 1020; KM 651). In PCGS holder graded AU 53. Value $500 - UP
On November 10, 1799, the general Napoleon Bonaparte and his brother Lucien perpetrated the bloodless coup d'état known as the Coup of 18 Brumiere (the date of the coup according to the French Revolutionary calendar). Together they forced the Directors of the Revolutionary government to resign and abolished the Constitution of Year III (1795) that had established the French Directorate. In their place a new constitution, the Constitution of Year VIII, was adopted on December 4, 1799, calling for a republican government led by consuls with 10-year terms. While there were three men in office, all of the real power of government devolved upon Napoleon who served as First Consul. The unpretentious bare-headed depiction of Napoleon on this 20-franc gold piece was perhaps intended to present the First Consul in the image of an ancient Roman Republican, but image seems to be modeled on the bare-headed depictions of Octavian (the future Augustus) struck shortly after he had crushed his opponents at the Battle of Actium (31 BC), but before he had taken the title of Augustus (27 BC) and become the first Roman Emperor. As First Consul Napoleon occupied a similar position to that of Octavian/Augustus in the aftermath of Actium. It was only a matter of time before he too would be Emperor.