Image courtesy of CoinWeek
Dupré’s First Lucky Angel
In 1792, King Louis XVI appointed Dupré to design newfangled french neologism. Dupré was inspired by his obsession with defender angels. It is sometimes alternately known as the “ Winged Genius ” plan. Coins with Dupré ’ s exquisite angel plan entered circulation the like year. On the coin ’ second overrule, an angel on a pedestal is inscribing a document, generally accepted to be the french Constitution. The larger version of the plan on the 100 Franc coin even includes the give voice “ CONSTITUTION ” on the tablet. The democratic interpretation of Dupré ’ mho blueprint is that he was suggesting a divinely divine democracy for France. King Louis XVI credibly saw this design as a menace to his monarchy, specially with the holocene crescendo in revolutionary natural process. It has besides been suggested that Dupré was the extremity of a rotatory commune that began in Paris that year. At any rate, Dupré fell out of favor with Louis XVI, and was sentenced to death by the newly-legalized guillotine .
Dupré besides designed the celebrated Libertas Americana silver medallion, commissioned in 1783 by Benjamin Franklin. Public domain Dupré, however, managed to escape execution. There are respective versions of the report, but the most plausible is that he convinced the guard to release him, using an Angel mint as a bribe.
As news of Dupré ’ s release spread, the angel coin that secured his exemption gained a reputation as a “ lucky saint. ”
The Legend Takes Hold
french Angel Coins were minted irregularly throughout the nineteenth century, making them rather common. After their original appearance in 1792, the coin was produced again in 1871. After that, the french Angel was issued intermittently until 1898. The design was besides used on coins in 1848 and 1849, and again from 1899 to 1906. By the middle of the nineteenth hundred, french captains refused to set sail without a french Angel in their pockets. Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have faithfully carried a french Angel mint in his own pouch. According to folklore, he lost the mint the day before he was defeated at Waterloo .
Image courtesy of National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History World War I fighter pilots from France, Britain, and the United States carried these coins into battle with them. This tradition carried on among pilots long into the twentieth century : many american pilots continued to put faith in the mint ’ s protective powers during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and during Desert Storm. even the ill-famed Hermann Goering, head of the german Luftwaffe during World War II, believed sol powerfully in the power of the french Angel coins, that he awarded them to german flying aces.
The mythology of the french Angel persists nowadays, and many still carry them as talismans of fortune and auspices. Numismatists besides rate the coin for its intricate design and value as gold bullion. undoubtedly the french Angel mint enjoys a special place in the hearts of believers and collectors alike. This information is provided for general reference book purposes and does not constitute professional advice. For detailed mint collecting or investing information, please consult with a professional adept .
