Half-Napoléon 10 francs
France · gold · 1854-1914
Overview
The half-Napoléon is the French 10 franc gold coin, struck from 1854 to 1914, exactly half of the Napoléon: 3.2258 g of 900 ‰ gold, that is 2.903 g of fine gold, with a diameter of 19 mm. Over the period it carried the same types as its larger sister: Napoleon III bareheaded then laureate, Ceres under the Third Republic, then the Rooster and Marianne. Smaller and thinner, it calls for an accurate balance: a deviation of a few hundredths of a gram weighs proportionally more than on a heavy coin, and pieces that circulated a great deal often show noticeable wear of the reliefs. Like the Napoléon, it belongs to the Latin Monetary Union standard and trades by its fine gold weight, not by the piece. At Gold & Silver Company in Dottignies, every half-Napoléon is weighed and appraised in front of the person; the assay in the agency is what counts.
Characteristics
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Metal | gold |
| Gross weight | 3.2258 g |
| Fineness | 900 ‰ |
| Fine metal | 2.903 g |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Years of issue | 1854-1914 |
How to check it
Indicative check: weigh the coin to the centigram and measure its diameter with callipers; a deviation of more than 0.1 g or 0.2 mm from the reference values warrants an examination in the agency. The assay in the agency is what counts.
At Gold & Silver Company
Every coin is weighed and appraised in front of the person, at the agency in Dottignies (Mouscron); the price is set at the rate of the moment of the transaction and is never published in advance.
Welcome policy: for gold, Gold & Silver Company receives by appointment from one kilogram; below that, no appointment is needed during opening hours; for silver, no appointment is needed whatever the quantity.
Related terms
Further reading
Sources
Characteristics checked against the reference numismatic catalogues and the issuers' official specifications (September 2026). The appraisal in the agency is what counts.