France, 2nd Empire, Napoleon III (1852-1870), 100 Francs 1869

The franc was introduced as a currency during the French revolution in 1795, replacing the French livre as a basis for weighing and calculating. During the 19th century the franc became one of the world's leading currencies.
Because of its decimal structure the franc was adopted by Belgium in 1832 and later, by Switzerland in 1850.
Even the German mark was strongly influenced by the franc. The coin shown here is worth 100 francs. It was struck under Napoleon III (1852 - 1870).
Coins of such high value could only be minted after the Californian gold rush in 1849, explaining the comparatively low price of gold.