The gold Franc was introduced during the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. With the formation of the Latin Monetary Union, the Franc was chosen as the de facto reserve currency due to its easy convertibility from gold to silver at a ratio of 1-15.5.
There were three gold Francs issued throughout this period. The first was the original Napoleon issued in 1803. It was followed by the gold Angel which was issued for just 2 years in 1948 and 1949. It was issued again in 1871 remaining in circulation until 1898 when it was replaced by the Marianne Rooster.
The rooster is especially unique for several reasons. The Paris Mint had produced several re-strikes of the Marianne Rooster which is one of the reason they are more common than the earlier gold Angel, and often in much better condition.
Coins dated from 1907 to 1914 as well as those from 1951 through 1960 are all restrikes which are mainly purchased for their gold value. Roosters dated 1906 and prior are highly sought after by collectors partly due to their rarity. Unlike the re-strikes, they also have numismatic value which varies based on the coins condition.
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