Description
The Marengo is a gold coin minted by the Subalpine Republic to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte’s victory over the Austrians on June 14, 1800. All coins belonging to this type bear the value of 20 in the currency of the respective nation. The minting of these coins continued until the beginning of the Second World War.
Among these issues, the demand for the French 20-franc gold coins known as the Rooster (Galletto) was extremely high from their first introduction in 1899, while the last issue dates to 1914. This coin, together with the 10-franc Marengo, features the same design.
On the obverse, there is the bust of Marianne, a symbolic figure for the French people representing liberty and reason. Her face is turned to the right and is crowned with an oak branch, while she wears the traditional Phrygian cap. On the reverse, the rooster is depicted, the figure that gives the coin its name.
These coins were created by the engraver Jules-Clément Chaplain, born on July 12, 1839. Chaplain was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome, a scholarship established by the French state for the most talented students in the arts, which allowed him to reside at Villa Medici. He also designed the composition that later inspired Robert Louis in the creation of the coats of arms of the Third Republic. In 1881 he was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1895 he was appointed director of the Sèvres manufactory.
He was a highly respected and admired sculptor, remembered above all for the engraving of the famous 10 and 20-franc Rooster coins, which have become historic pieces in numismatics.
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