Description

Every year, this series honours three important women in French history. For this third year, it enters the 19th century with a French empress, a queen of Sweden and a woman of letters. These coins feature a “free strike” that highlights backgrounds inspired by rich textile motifs from that era.

Eugénie Bernardine Désirée Clary (1777–1860), in Swedish officially Eugenia Bernhardina Desideria, was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the consort of King Charles XIV John (a former French General and founder of the House of Bernadotte), mother of Oscar I, and one-time fiancée of Napoleon Bonaparte. She officially changed her name there to Desideria, which she did not use herself.

Obverse

Depicts Désirée Clary’s portrait surrounded by her dates and name. This artwork referers to Robert Lefevre’s painting "Portrait of Désirée Clary" (1807). In the background, there is a tapestry made of D monogram relating to Désirée Clary.

DÉSIRÉE CLARY
1777-1860

Reverse

Depicts Désirée Clary’s husband, the King Charles XIV Jean on horseback in front of the Sweden coat of arms. Its composition, inspired by Charles VIII of Sweden, was created during the fifth decade of XVth century. Value and date below.

Charles XIV and III John or Carl John, (Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan; 1763–1844) was King of Sweden (as Charles XIV John) and King of Norway (as Charles III John) from 1818 until his death, and served as de facto regent and head of state from 1810 to 1818.

He was born Jean Bernadotte in France and served a long career in the French Army. He was appointed as a Marshal of France by Napoleon, though the two had a turbulent relationship. Napoleon made him Prince of Pontecorvo on 5 June 1806, but he stopped using that title in 1810 when his service to France ended and he was elected the heir-presumptive to the childless King Charles XIII of Sweden. Upon his Swedish adoption, he assumed the name Carl. He did not use the name Bernadotte in Sweden, but founded the royal dynasty there of that name.

Arcing around the scene, starting from the middle left side and continuing to the middle right, is the inscription. Beneath it are the initials RF for the French Republic, at the bottom of the reverse the denomination, and the date of issuance. To the left of the date is a cornucopia, the Paris Mint mintmark. In a similar position on the opposite side is the mark of current the Paris Mint director Yves Sampo – a pentagon containing the letters AG, MP and YS.

CORONNEMENT DE CHARLES XIV 1818
RF
10 EURO
2018

Edge

10 Euro

KM# 2493
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.900
Weight 22.2 g
Diameter 37 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Paris Mint (A)

Related coins

Empress Joséphine

Women of France

Silver, 22.2 g, ⌀ 37 mm
George Sand

Women of France

Silver, 22.2 g, ⌀ 37 mm
George Sand

Women of France

Gold, 7.78 g, ⌀ 22 mm