Napoleon III French Gold 20 Francs
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
France • 90% gold; 10% alloy metal
Issue years: 1853–1870
Fine gold: 0.186682 troy oz
Belgium • 20 Belgian francs
Leopold II Belgian Gold 20 Francs
Leopold II Belgian Gold 20 Francs is a .900 gold twenty-unit coin. The nominal monetary standard is 6.45161 g gross, 5.806449 g fine gold and approximately 0.186682 troy oz. The photographed 1878 piece shows Leopold II and the twenty-franc crowned-shield reverse. The guide excludes Leopold I and Albert I portrait types even where their nominal metal standards are similar.
Siren-Com; CC BY-SA 4.0; resized WebP; paired photograph separated · Image source · CC BY-SA 4.0 — photograph license
Siren-Com; CC BY-SA 4.0; resized WebP; paired photograph separated · Image source · CC BY-SA 4.0 — photograph license
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- Belgium
- Face denomination
- 20 Belgian francs
- Composition
- 90% gold; 10% alloy metal
- Gross weight (grams)
- 6.45161
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Diameter (mm)
- 21
- Edge
- Lettered; orientation varieties
- Mint
- Belgian national mint; facility or issue varies
- Mint mark
- Verify exact issue
- Issue years
- 1867–1871, 1874–1878, 1882
The two beard types overlap in 1870. There are no dated circulation issues in 1872–1873 or 1879–1881 in these type lists. Edge orientation and portrait varieties require separate attribution.
- Source precision
- Original convention nominal standard 6.45161 g, .900 gold, 21 mm. Swissmint displays 6.452 g and PCGS examples display 6.4516 g; these are shorter reference precisions. No fine-ounce override is invented. Earlier issue identity and design are independently classified, rather than attributed retroactively to the 1865 treaty.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: gross grams × fineness ÷ 31.1034768 × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
Leopold II faces right with a bearded portrait. LEOPOLD II ROI DES BELGES follows the rim and the date 1878 is below. Distinguish the named king instead of grouping every Belgian gold portrait under one identity.
Reverse: identify the back
A crowned shield and surrounding devices occupy the center, with L’UNION FAIT LA FORCE around the rim and 20 FR below. The lower numerical denomination is the useful content check. The two face photographs do not expose the edge inscription’s orientation.
History and purpose
PCGS describes the normal Leopold II twenty-franc issue range as 1867–1882. Its own research notes portrait/crown and edge-letter orientation varieties. Those distinctions can be relevant to identification while the normal nominal .900 gold standard remains the calculation basis.
How to identify this variant
Check the Leopold II legend, 20 FR, face date, approximately 21 mm diameter and nominal mass together. The source’s photographed specimen weight is not an exact replacement for the original standard. An Albert I military portrait or Leopold I legend belongs to a different type.
Understanding its metal content
The nominal calculation is 6.45161 g × 0.900 = 5.806449 g fine gold. Divide by 31.1034768 g per troy ounce to obtain approximately 0.186682 troy oz. The remaining tenth is alloy, not additional gold. A quantity of three represents approximately 0.560045 troy oz at standard weight. The theoretical metal amount is separate from a collector premium or buyer offer; it is not a measured assay of your specimen.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
Edge-letter orientation is cataloged separately from face designs. Supply an edge view and explain which face is upward when describing orientation. Do not assign a Position A or B from the obverse and reverse photographs alone.
Melt value versus collector value
A date/mint variety, edge orientation and condition can warrant individual review beyond the shared gold amount. Preserve original attribution and holders. This guide does not reproduce historical auction prices, assign a grade or make a general claim about premiums in the current market.
Authenticity and condition
Use the actual denomination, both faces, date, mint details, edge, mass and diameter together. A plausible portrait or matching gold color is insufficient. Check an intact specimen with a suitable scale and caliper, keeping measurements separate from the nominal calculator. Worn, clipped, mounted or suspicious pieces need individual examination. Do not clean a coin or damage its edge to test it. These photographs identify representative designs; they do not authenticate a customer coin or assign a grade.
Selling this coin
Group the same denomination and type together, and record quantities, dates, mint marks and any original holders. Supply readable photographs of both faces and a separate edge view when inscriptions or damage matter. Request an appraisal for the actual lot rather than treating the nominal gold total as a guaranteed payment. Keep ten-unit gold, silver coins and replicas out of this entry. The collection calculator can combine separately identified coins while retaining each composition.
Sources and calculation methodology
The calculator retains the five-decimal twenty-unit nominal mass in Article 2 of the original 1865 monetary convention, reproduced in the Swedish parliamentary report. This is historical specification evidence, not current legal or tax guidance and not a claim that an earlier coin was first issued under that convention. Design and issue dates are checked separately against issuer or coin-type references. Shorter catalog weights and the photographed specimen’s condition are not substituted for the nominal standard. Original photograph licenses and transformations are recorded separately. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable.
Common questions
Can these face photos establish Position A or B?
No. That distinction requires the actual edge lettering and its orientation relative to the faces.
Does any Belgian twenty francs belong in this entry?
No. Confirm LEOPOLD II and the exact denomination. Other rulers are different type identities even when their standard gold content matches.
Should a photographed specimen’s 6.44 g weight replace the nominal standard?
No. A specimen may be worn or measured at a different precision. The calculator retains nominal 6.45161 g; actual lot assessment records measurements separately.
References
- Original monetary convention, 23 December 1865: Article 2 — weight twenty-unit gold 6.45161 g; fineness 900 thousandths; diameter 21 mm; original shared nominal standard, not current law (checked 2026-10-10)
- PCGS: Belgian gold coin issue research — identity; dates Leopold II twenty francs 1867–1882; weight shortened 6.4516 g; fineness .900; design, crown and edge-orientation varieties (checked 2026-10-10)
Issue-year references
- NGC: Leopold II coarse-beard twenty-franc dated issues
- NGC: Leopold II finer-beard twenty-franc dated issues
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
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