World FRANCE, Second Empire. Napoléon III. /i1852-1870. Proof AR Essai de 2 Francs (25mm, 10.06 g, 6h). Paris mint. Dies by Barré. Struck 1860. NAPOLEON EMPEREUR, bare head left; below, ESSAI between two anchors / EMPIRE FRANCAIS, Crowned, collared, and mantled coat-of-arms over crossed scepters; below, ESSAI between two anchors. Mazzard 1654; KM –. Deep iridescent cabinet toning. In NGC encapsulation 6916539-002, graded PF 63. Extremely rare – only one specimen in CoinArchives. Top Pop. From the Alexander Christopher Collection./iElected by a popular vote in 1848, Napoléon III who was the nephew and heir of Napoléon I, initiated a coup d’état three years later, eventually proclaiming himself as the Emperor of the French. During his reign, he attempted to restore France’s position as a world power following the limitations imposed from the Napoleonic Wars. Tensions with the neighboring German states led to war after a Hohenzollern candidature for the vacant Spanish throne. This ensuing conflict exposed Napoléon’s poor tactical skills, and he was captured at the Battle of Sedan in 1870. Two days later, he and his government were deposed, replaced by the newly-formed Third Republic. The German states’ successes in the war led to the birth of the German Empire and a foreshadowing of future regional conflicts. !--Silver--
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