Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 498 18 Aug 2021
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FRANCE, Second Empire. Napoléon III. 1852-1870. Altered AR 5 Francs (36mm, 24.35 g, 7h). Paris mint; différents bee and anchor. Dated 1870 [A]. [Laureate] head left, re-engraved with German pickelhaube / Crowned and mantled coat-of-arms within collar; behind, scepter and Hand of Justice crossed in saltire. For original: VG 739. For alteration: cf. Collignon, Guerre p. 56 note. Toned. Good VF.
From the J. Eric Engstrom Collection.
Elected by a popular vote in 1848, Napoléon III was the nephew and heir of Napoléon I, and initiated a coup d'état three years later, eventually proclaiming himself as the Emperor of the French. During his reign, he attempted to restore France's position as a world power following the limitations imposed from the Napoleonic Wars. Tensions with the neighboring German states led to war after a Hohenzollern candidature for the vacant Spanish throne. This ensuing conflict exposed Napoléon's poor tactical skills, and he was captured at the Battle of Sedan in 1870. Two days later, he and his government were deposed, replaced by the newly-formed Third Republic. The German states' successes in the war led to the birth of the German Empire and a foreshadowing of future regional conflicts.
From the J. Eric Engstrom Collection.
Elected by a popular vote in 1848, Napoléon III was the nephew and heir of Napoléon I, and initiated a coup d'état three years later, eventually proclaiming himself as the Emperor of the French. During his reign, he attempted to restore France's position as a world power following the limitations imposed from the Napoleonic Wars. Tensions with the neighboring German states led to war after a Hohenzollern candidature for the vacant Spanish throne. This ensuing conflict exposed Napoléon's poor tactical skills, and he was captured at the Battle of Sedan in 1870. Two days later, he and his government were deposed, replaced by the newly-formed Third Republic. The German states' successes in the war led to the birth of the German Empire and a foreshadowing of future regional conflicts.