The Banque de France, a federal establishment…
April 1803 CE
In March-April 1803, the Franc germinal (named after the month Germinal in the revolutionary calendar) is established, creating a gold franc containing 290.034 mliiigrams of fine gold.
From this point, gold and silver-based units will circulate interchangeably on the basis of a 1:15.5 ratio between the values of the two metals (bimetallism) until 1864, when all silver coins except the 5-franc piece will be debased from 90% to 83.5% silver without the weights changing.
This coinage includes the first modern gold coins with denominations in francs.
It abandons the revolutionary symbols of the coinage 1795, now showing Napoleon in the manner of Roman emperors, first described as "Bonaparte Premier Consul" and with the country described as "République Française".