Emperor Napoleon III coin - Second Empire - 2 cents
2-cent coin - Dated 1852 - 1870
Authentic bronze period coin from the Second Empire, minted during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. It features the profile of the Emperor on the obverse (bareheaded or gilt-plated) and the imperial eagle on the reverse. Each copy has a unique historical patina and original reliefs preserved from the 19th century.
All coins are different
Description
Emperor Napoleon III coin - Second Empire - 2 cents
2-cent coin - Dated 1852 - 1870
Authentic bronze coin of 2 cents minted during the reign of Napoleon III.
Major symbol of daily life under the Second Empire.
Each piece bears the unique traces of its history and the passage of time, offering a natural patina of the period, ranging from golden bronze to dark chocolate.
Front panel: Obverse of the coin
Profile of the Emperor: Portrait of Napoleon III facing left, engraved after the original work by Jean-Jacques Barre (Engraver general coins).
Circular mention "NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR"
Variant: The coins can be either bareheaded of the Emperor or crowned with laurels.
Presents, according to the arrivals, the Bare head model (struck from 1853 to 1861) or the Laureate head (adopted from 1862 on bronze coins).
The laurel wreath is inspired by the Roman tradition to celebrate the military victories of the Emperor, notably the Italian Campaign of 1859 (victories of Magenta and Solferino) as well as the annexation of Savoy and Nice to France in 1860.
Back side: Reverse of the coin
The Imperial Eagle: Central motif representing the Roman eagle with outstretched wings, resting on the lightning of Jupiter, emblem of power, sovereignty and victory of the Napoleonic regime.
Legends: Surrounded by the mention "FRENCH EMPIRE" and the face value "TWO CENTS".
Various minting workshops: Monetary workshop letters visible at the base (e.g., A for Paris, B for Rouen)
Material: Bronze (Alloy of copper, tin and zinc established by the reform of 1852)
Diameter: 20 mm (2 cm)
Weight: About 2 g
Engraver: Jean-Jacques Barre
Attention: As these are old period coins, each copy is unique, all the pieces are different and have their own nuances of patina and circulation marks.
