Minted from 1899 to 1914, these traditional French gold coins feature the dynamic image of the Gallic Rooster, or Coq Gaulois, one of the national symbols of France since the Middle Ages. The Gallic Rooster played an important role during the French Revolution as an image of revolutionary vigilance, confidence, and pugnacity. In the 1830s, the Rooster temporarily replaced the fleur-de-lis as the official national emblem until Napoleon III reinstated the latter in the mid-1800s.

Appearing today on French stamps and as the insignia for French national sports teams, the French Rooster continues to stand as a proud emblem of the fighting spirit of liberty and independence.