UNC 1812-A Paris NAPOLEON Gold 40 Francs Struck the Year of Napoleons Invasion of Russia Start Price USD 0.99 Current Price USD 1,225.00 Time Left - Bid Count 18 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, August 29, 2008 End Time Monday, September 08, 2008 Location Leicester See more about 'UNC 1812-A Paris NAPOLEON Gold 40 Francs' Description A Lustrous UNCIRCULATED 1812-A Paris Mint French Gold 40 Francs of Napoleon Bonaparte struck in Paris.  The coin does not have the usual mint-made, heavy adjustment marks frequently found on this type.  This coin has the reverse inscription EMPIRE FRANCAIS. By 1812, Czar Alexander of Russia was becoming weary of the punishing effects of the English blockade on his country's economy. This blockade was imposed as a result of Russia's participation in Napoleon's "Continental System" which itself had been created as a counter to Great Britain's own economic warfare. Economically powerful Great Britain eventually prevailed, and when Russia was successfully pressured into withdrawing from the Continental System, France was again virtually in the same position as it had been during the Revolution. If Russia were to successfully pull out, Britain would again be able to browbeat the other nations of Europe into taking part in the economic strangulation of France. Napoleon's solution was to invade Russia in an attempt to deliver a knockout blow which everyone would remember. The invasion of Russia itself was not obviously the foolhardy expedition it might have seemed. Napoleon's French Army was logistically the most sophisticated since ancient times and had shown itself capable of operating as far east as western Russia. In the past, the Russians had been in the habit of giving up as soon as they lost a major field army. And since all their existing commanders had been personally beaten several times by Napoleon, it was expected that with extra men and planning, the same would occur again. The invasion officially began with the crossing of the Niemen River on June 24, 1812. For Napoleon's combined army of over 500,000 men the campaign got off to a poor start due to the massive loss of horses in the hot weather and the refusal of the Russians to give battle. By the time the invading army fought its first major battle at Smolensk, it had shrunk by half due to detachments, death and desertion. When the Russians finally gave battle at Borodino in September, the French, including Napoleon himself, were no longer the idealistic battle hungry men who had begun the year. The battle itself was tactically unimaginative, with the French battering themselves against the Russian defenses and the Russians obligingly taking the punishment without much attempt to maneuver for position. After the bloody stalemate at Borodino, the Russians evacuated Moscow, allowing it to fall into French hands. When the French actually entered the city, groups of Russians torched every building they could reach, ironically forcing French troops to fight to save the Russian city from its own men. Napoleon remained in Moscow in the belief that an armistice would soon be offered, but none was forthcoming, and after a month of waiting he realized that the situation had become serious. If he remained in Moscow for the winter, the political climate back in France could destabilize. If he withdrew, it would be seen as a defeat, which could result in the economic strangulation of France and the ultimate return of a monarchy. The only choice was to try to move closer to France without actually abandoning the campaign.  This required that the army move as soon as possible back into western Russia, Poland and East Prussia, where there were large, well stocked French depots to support his men through the winter. The move west began on October 19, and went well at first.  Some people were joyfully carrying enormous amounts of loot, but the more experienced men were already worried.  They knew how long it would take to walk back to Poland, and there was simply not enough time to escape the coming cold. Many people could be seen carrying unusually heavy coats and furs in their baggage. After fighting a fierce battle at Maloyaroslavets, the French were forced back down the path they had marched in, further denying them the luxury of moving through unforaged lands. In the five weeks it took them to rendezvous with fresh troops east of Borisov, increasingly severe cold and privation turned half the main army into a mass of fugitives. The Berezina River crossing which followed was a catastrophe, killing half of the remaining 60,000 troops. Half of those 30,000 survivors died in the following week as temperatures plunged. By the time a few thousand remaining men abandoned their wagons and artillery at the base of an icy hill west of Vilna, the army ceased to be. Survivors of the various contingents simply deserted and walked home or wandered to the closest friendly depots. NO RESERVE The coin contains .3734 Fine Troy Oz. Gold and has a purity of .900 fine. $16 insured postage worldwide. Place a Bid!