The French Angel 20 Franc makes for an exquisitely beautiful necklace, bestowing upon it's wearer a rich and storied history as a good luck charm (see historical note below). We have offered 'Lucky Angel' pendants as a holiday tradition for many years now, and they remain enormously popular year in, year out. Each 'Lucky Angel' pendant comes with a copy of the following poem, scrolled and bound with a gold ribbon, making for a unique and memorable gift.
Throughout history many a story
Tells of cures, success and glory
Brought on those who get to hold
A lucky Angel cast pure in gold
Napoleon held close this lucky charm
To protect him in battle and keep him from harm
Victorious he was to Russia and back
As he kept it close for every attack
It was quite some time before the coin was lost
But misplaced it was at no small cost
Waterloo followed the ensuing day
Napoleon was defeated and cast away
A similar story is often told
Of a guard's favor that was luckily sold
At the cost of an Angel a man was saved
It was the coin's designer Augustine Dupres
Others will say the Angel can heal
Can protect from harm, its powers are real
So take this Angel and keep it close to your heart
And great luck will follow you and never depart
Please note: Standard design on the French Angel Pendant is with the Angel facing forward (no prongs). Orders are automatically combined with chains to provide a package/bulk discount. You do have the option to order the pendant only (by phone), but at an added cost to the price published above.
Historical Note:
Owning the famous French Angel 20 Franc Gold Coin has always been considered good luck. Legend has it that an earlier version accompanied Napoleon in his quest to conquer Europe. He carried it in the long march to Russia and back until he finally misplaced it -- the day before the Battle of Waterloo. When the coin's designer, Augustine Dupre, was sentenced to death, he held a gold Angel as he prayed for his life; it caught the eye of his guard, allowing him to 'negotiate' his escape from the guillotine.
The French Angel characterizes the ideals of the French Revolution. Symbolically, the angel depicted on the obverse represents the Spirit of France and he is shown on the coin writing the French Constitution. A rooster symbolizing vigilance appears next to the angel. Behind the angel stands the fasces or bundle of rods - a symbol of power previously carried by Roman magistrates. On top of the fasces is the Cap of Liberty, which also appears on U.S. coinage with the same meaning. The slogan; Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite appears on the reverse along with the date. The French Angel gold coins were minted to the Latin Monetary Union standard of .1867 ounces per coin, to facilitate cross border trade with the 20 Franc issues of other countries at that time (Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, etc.).
