Subalpine Republic (Piedmont) & the Principality of Lucca

The Subalpine Republic and the Principality of Lucca are both client states created by Napoelon I with limited coinage. Both also used the franc rather than the lire.

Supalpine Republic

(Piedmont Republic 1799-1799 / Subalpine Republic 1800-1801)

The Subalpine Republic 1800-1802 was a client state of France established by Napoleon I after his victory at the Battle of Marengo. It was located in Piedmont (capital - Turin), in what had been briefly the Piedmont Republic (1798-1799).

The 20 francs is often referred to as the “Marengo,” referring to the battle and as it appeared on the coin, and this term is now used generically to refer to the 20 francs that followed it. The coinage refers to the French Republic Calendar (AN9-AN12), which covers the period September 1800 to September 1802. This was was first gold coin minted according to what later became the Napoleonic (and LMU) standard.

The Subalpine Republic was dissolved in September 1802 and its territory was annexed into France and to the short-lived Italian Republic (1802-1805), where Napoleon I was President. Both were later held by Napoleon I (in France, as Emperor and in Italy as King of the Kingdom of Italy).

The decree defining the 20 francs is here (though it refers to 6.41507 grams at 0.9 fine for reasons unknown to me).

Circulation Coins

Underlined text links to Numista
Certain images are clickable for more detail

20 Lire

AN9-AN10 / 1800-1801)
(Image: SIMA May 2023)

5 Lire

AN9-AN10 / 1800-1801
(Image: MDC Oct 2020)

“Marengo” 20 Francs Graded Population

There are competing figures on mintage: NGC reports 1,492 for AN9 and 2,820 for AN10, which matches the Krause book. Other references are close to 30k in total (pending cite). Krause (at least the 8th edition) also refers to it incorrectly as the “Piedmont Republic (1798-1799), rather than the Subalpine Republic (1800-1801). The more likely mintage seems to be 15,813 for AN9 and 8,487 for AN10 (here, also Monnaies Françaises 2023, p. 651). Either way, the commemorative nature of this coin (and its stunning design) led to its relatively high rate of conservation.

Both years (AN9 and AN10) have a main variant whether the obverse has either A’ Marengo or ‘A Marengo. Only PCGS recognizes this variant.

There are many other variants, especially for AN9 (see Monnaies Françaises 2023, p. 651). These relate to the style and positioning of the year (L’AN), the position of the mint mark “AL,” and whether there is a dot after “Marenco.”

Of the mint state graded population, at least five were added during 2023-2024 (including an NGC MS63 AN9 and NGC MS63 AN10).

Grade PCGS Pop NGC Pop Combined PCGS Years NGC Years
MS61 4 16 20 AN9 'A x1, AN10 A' x2, AN10 'A x1 AN 9 x10 (1 PL), AN 10 x6
MS62 5 15 20 AN10 A' x4, AN10 'A x1 AN 9 x9, AN 10 x6
MS63 - 5 5 n/a AN 9 x2, AN 10 x3
MS64 1 2 3 AN10 A' PL x1 AN 9 x1 (1 +), AN 10 x1
MS65 - - - n/a n/a
MS66 - - - n/a n/a
Total 10 38 48 - -

Source: NGC / PCGS (Compiled as of 2 November 2024)

< 20 Francs - Finest Examples >

< AN9 >

AN9 - NGC MS64+


(Image: Aurora Mar 2024 / SIMA May 2023)

AN9 - NGC MS63


(Image: NAC Jun 2023)

AN9 - NGC MS63


(Image: Unknown)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Heritage Jan 2025 - to be posted)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Nomisma Aste May 2024, Nomisma Sep 2023)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Heritage Jan 2020)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Heritage Jan 2020)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Numizmatyczny Oct 2019)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Unknown #6)

AN9 - NGC MS62


(Image: Unknown #7-9)

AN9 - Ungraded qFDC/FDC


(Image: Nomisma Aug 2024)

AN9 - Ungraded FDC


(Image: Nomisma Oct 2019)

AN9 - Ungraded SUP/FDC


(Image: Elsen Nov 2024)

AN9 - Ungraded


(Image: CNG Jan 2014)

AN9 - Ungraded qFDC/FDC


(Image: Nomisma Mar 2024)

< AN10 >

AN10 - PCGS - MS64PL


(Image: Unknown)

AN10 - NGC MS64


(Image: Bolaffi Jul 2020)

AN10 - NGC MS63


(Image: Heritage Dec 2024)

AN10 - NGC MS63


(Image: SIMA May 2023)

AN10 - NGC MS63


(Image: NAC Dec 2022)

AN10 - PCGS MS62


(Image: MDC Oct 2020)

AN10 - PCGS MS62


(Image: Status Int’l Jun 2022)

AN10 - PCGS MS62


(Image: Unknown #4)

AN10 - PCGS MS62


(Image: Unknown #5)

AN10 - PCGS MS62


(Image: Gadoury Oct 2022)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Gadoury Oct 2024)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Aurora Mar 2024)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Aurora Sep 2023)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Numisor Jan 2016)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Unknown #5)

AN10 - NGC MS62


(Image: Unknown #6)

AN10 - Ungraded FDC
(Later Graded NGC MS62)


(Image: Bolaffi Dec 2022)

< 5 Francs - Finest Examples >

AN10 - NGC MS66


(Image: MDC Oct 2020)

AN10 - NGC MS66


(Image: Heritage Jan 2017)

5 Francs

1805-1808
(Image: NAC June 2023)

1 Franc

1805-1808
(Image: NAC June 2023)

Principality of Lucca and Piombino

The Principality of Lucca and Piombino was established by Napoleon I in 1805 and lasted until his fall in 1814. It was ruled by Napoleon’s sister, Elisa, and her husband. Unlike most of Italy, the Principality was never annexed into France or into the Kingdom of Italy.

The territory had been occupied by France since 1899 and the creation of this state was to combine the Republic of Lucca and the Principality of Piombino (which were not contiguous territories — see “P. of Lucca and “P. of Piombino” in orange above).

The successor state, the Republic of Lucca, adopted the lire but with a lower silver content than the Napoleonic standard (4.7 grams at .66 fine)